It may sound foreign to Americans, but being paid to cycle to work on a pedal bicycle or electric bike is common in many countries. While bicycles are still popular forms of transportation, many more workers are now switching from four wheels to two thanks to the proliferation of electric bicycles. Electric bicycles work like traditional pedal bicycles, but include an additional electric motor and battery to assist the rider, taking the edge off of hill-climbing and higher-speed riding. Many riders favor e-bikes for allowing them to arrive at work without breaking a sweat, while still getting in some heart-healthy modest physical activity twice a day. The bike-to-work programs found in most countries usually take the form of a tax incentive, where tax-free bonuses are added to an employee’s paycheck each month for cycling to work instead of driving a personal car. And the programs are so successful that they’re continuing to grow. Across Europe, there are over 300 tax-incentive and pur

Reprinted with permission from Scientific American  By Annette Schaefer   Workers are traveling ever longer to attain the job or home life they want, but the daily stress may outweigh the gains WHEN ACCIDENTS snarl traffic and bad weather cripples mass transit, images of frustrated commuters often lead the nightly news. But the normal, everyday insanity that commuters endure is the bigger story. Mobility is a prime mover in today's job markets. Workers who want to “make it” have to be flexible and willing to take the punishment. Move to another branch office? No problem. Still want that nice house in the country? Absolutely. The result of our desires is that more and more people commute, and more travel longer than ever. The percentage of Americans with a commute greater than 90 minutes a day nearly doubled between 1990 and 2000, according to the U.S.  Census Bureau The added time and distance may not be worth the hassle, however. Research from around the wor

For the delivery company, DB Schenker, the bikes are a way to avoid traffic; unlike most other cargo bikes, they’re narrow enough to fit in bike lanes. In tests, the company found that the bikes increased productivity by 40%. For the city, they’re one small part of a move to become carbon neutral in a little more than a decade. WHAT A CONCEPT! Reprint from FastCompany Newsletter 9.18.18 In the center of Oslo, the city is removing parking spaces, closing streets to traffic, improving public transportation, handing out grants for cargo bikes, and building 40 miles of new bike lanes as it prepares to make the entire center car-free by 2019. When the changes began, there was resistance. But the mayor of Oslo says that more people are beginning to see new opportunities. READ >>

By Mark Cramer, retiree, cycling advocate, regular contributor to  Freewheeling France   22 percent of the net growth in U.S. bike trips from 1995-2009 is by people ages 60-79. Their biking quadrupled in those 14 years, the fastest growth of any demographic. During the past 17 years I’ve been cycling on a regular basis. As I’ve aged (I’m 72 now), I have observed an increasing population of senior cyclers around me, especially in France, my home base. Recently in Paris I presented a slide show on Cycling in Bolivia. The canyon city of La Paz, Bolivia, where I live for six weeks each year, is 12,000 feet above sea level, has no bike lanes and if you find a rare flat street, it’s never going where you need it to. Given the challenge of cycling in an area with sometimes many thousand foot variations in altitude, I expected a younger crowd to attend the presentation. Instead, the audience was comprised mainly of seniors. Mingling with them I learned that their retirements are e

Responding to the growing demand from guests for bike-related activities and amenities, many hotels are now adopting bike-friendly policies.  Exploring a new city or town by bicycle was once deemed a fringe activity but has become an attractive and sought-after option. Bicycle travel reaches a wider audience of vacationers seeking fun – even family-friendly – adventures. You cannot experience the outdoors all "scrunched up" in a car while watching out for other drivers, looking for your next turn while the guy behind you is anxious to get to the next traffic light. To be considered a Bike Friendly Hotel, a list of possible amenities and nearby attractions is considered. “Amenities include a bike friendly concierge, city bike maps, fix-it or washing stations, bike valet, ability for guests to bring their bike in their room, secure indoor and outdoor parking, proximity to a bike share station, proximity to a cycle track or bike trail, custom picnic baskets, or an

12 April, 2018 Mark Sutton It's a world-wide pandemic. This report could be processed in any county. This one happens to be from UK. An evidence-based call to action by medical experts to end a “42-year trend” of car domination is gaining traction, with the authors calling on the UK Government to drive a change in transport habits. Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine , the authors outline the consequences of not getting tough on childhood obesity, something their studies tie to sedentary travel habits. An accompanying letter – mailed to UK transport ministers Chris Grayling, Humza Yousaf, Ken Skates and Karan Bradley – calls for dedicated funding of “at least 10% of the national transport budgets to pay for infrastructure interventions supported by a behaviour change programme.” This is not a new proposal having previously been presented by the Association of Directors of Public Health as long ago as 2008, endorsed by over 100 concerned academic, health, transpor

Inspired by Bogotá’s weekly ciclovía, CicLAvia temporarily closes streets to car traffic and opens them to Los Angelenos to use as a public park. Free for all, CicLAvia connects communities to each other across an expansive city, creating a safe place to bike, walk, skate, roll, and dance through Los Angeles. Currently, CicLAvia is a Southern California phenomenon. It has been opening streets across Los Angeles county since 2010. Over 1 million people have experienced CicLAvia. It's the biggest open streets event in the US! Participants represent 80% of the population of the City of Los Angeles. Other Southern California communities are now promoting CicLAvia events in the San Fernando Valley, Culver City, Venice, Mar Vista, Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown, MacArthur Park, South LA, Echo Park, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Boyle Heights, Historic Downtown, East LA, Pasadena, Pacoima, Arleta, Panorama City, and Southeast Cities. CicLAvia has five times more people using its tempora