Although congestion pricing was stymied by New York State Legislators, the City has good reasons to keep its faith in livable streets alive, just ask Reverend Billy.

Three Reasons for NYC to Keep the Faith

NYC is still in love with biking, walking and public transit. Watch the StreetFilm here.

Despite the closed-door dealings that defeated congestion pricing, New Yorkers that care about biking, walking and better public transit have plenty of reasons to keep their spirits high. During the pricing campaign, T.A. continued to advocate for block by block improvements that will make the city better, and we continued to win. Community Boards, City Council Members and the local chapters of national environmental groups embraced the livable streets agenda and spoke out in favor of less traffic, better transit and more space for biking and walking. Here's why those are three great reasons to keep the faith:

Community Boards on Board
Just last week, Brooklyn Community Board One overwhelmingly approved the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway route along Kent Avenue and West Street in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. The plan includes protected bike lanes, enhanced pedestrian space and a planted buffer all of which the community board recognized as a smart way to calm traffic and provide much needed recreational space for North Brooklyn residents and visitors. Communities are starting to embrace complete streets.

The City Council Gets It
When asked to stand and be counted, our real representatives, the ones who don't spend half the year in or enroute to the North Country, voted in support of better transit and less traffic. The City Council gets it. They'll continue to get it. And we'll be working with them to make sure New York City gets all that it deserves.

Backed by Big Enviros
Traditionally, transportation advocacy by national environmental organizations has focused on making driving more 'green,' but in the congestion pricing campaign, the local chapters of these big enviros joined with T.A. and hundreds of others, to show their commitment to better transit, less traffic and healthier, safer streets. They committed much needed resources and helped guide a strong campaign. With their support, livable streets are a whole lot closer.

Although congestion pricing would have done a great deal of good in New York City, it is by no means the only way of making streets more suitable for biking, walking and transit. Even in its failure to pass, it made traffic relief and transit funding a high priority for New Yorkers. And even when we were putting our all into passing pricing, we were working on other campaigns too. Advocates and supporters ought to keep their spirits high. Better bus service, parking reform, more bike lanes, wider sidewalks and other improvements are around the corner. And now more than ever before, there are plenty of reasons to keep the faith.

PlaNYC One Year Later

Last year Mayor Bloomberg chose Earth Day to announce his sweeping sustainability initiative, PlaNYC. One year later, a lot has happened. Although the plan's most promising and contentious point, congestion pricing, was stymied by Albany, we've won more than our share and expect many more victories to come. Below is a short anniversary update on the transportation portion of the plan:

Bike Lanes
Since this time last year, the city has installed 35 miles of bike lanes and expects to have a whopping 55 miles finished by the end of this month. One of those lanes, the cycletrack on Ninth Avenue, is without a doubt the city's premiere on-street bike facility.

Bike Parking
There are 700 new bike racks on NYC streets. A few of them are covered from the elements and some even took parking space away from cars. As the weather warms, the City says even more bike parking spaces are on the way, as a many as 200 racks by the end of April.

Pedestrian Plazas
In August of last year, the city opened up a pedestrian plaza in DUMBO. They started construction on another in the Meat Packing District a few weeks ago. Although this seems a slower pace than some other initiatives, the plazas are great additions to each neighborhood, and we've been told another 30 are on the drawing board.

Bus Rapid Transit
The City will open its first BRT route, now called Select Bus Service, along Fordham Road in late June. They are working on getting more routes up and operational by 2009 and have installed BRT style infrastructure improvements, like painted lanes and signal prioritization, on several key bus routes throughout the five Boroughs.

What's in store for this Earth Day? Only the Mayor and his inner circle know for sure, but there's lots of buzz and a big speech is planned. Regardless of what it is, we've accomplished a lot in 12 short months and will accomplish a lot more by this time next year.

Ride Safe, Know Your Rights (and don’t forget your sunglasses)

Cyclists, start your peddling. Photo courtesy pixietart on Flickr.com.

Spring is here and it’s time to dust off your saddle and get back on your bike (for those of you who have been riding all winter, well, it’s just time to start sweating more).

Spring is also the time when the NYPD pulls out their pens and pads and starts writing tickets to cyclists who break traffic laws. But there’s some good news too. Tickets issued to cyclists last year were down by 19% as compared to numbers in 2006. And over the past decade, as cycling has increased by 33%, annual bicyclist injuries and fatalities dropped by 40%. Still, the best way to keep ridership high, cyclists safe and ticket numbers low is to know your rights and responsibilities as a cyclist.

Bike riders are required to follow all of the same traffic laws as drivers. Additionally, the law requires cyclists to ride in bike lanes unless preparing for a turn, passing or to avoid dangerous conditions like double-parked cars, potholes, debris or substandard bike lanes. Bikers must also have a bell and front and rear lights from dusk until dawn. All cyclists must yield to pedestrians and adults are prohibited from riding on the sidewalk.

If you feel you were unjustly ticketed, harassed or would like legal advice, contact T.A. at bike@transalt.org or fill out our online ticket report form.

To urge the NYPD to ticket drivers who threaten cyclists and park and drive in bike lanes, email Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

Ready, Set, Go...Bike Month NYC

Can't wait for Bike Month NYC Calendars? Not a problem! Join T.A. on April 24th at Heartland Brewery at 17th Street and Union Square West from 6 pm - 8 pm to kick off Bike Month NYC 2008. Pick up your 2008 Bike Month NYC Calendar and a 2008 NYC Cycle map. Sign-up to marshal or volunteer at T.A events like the Tour de Brooklyn and the Tour de Queens. See you there!

Thursday, April 24th
6-8 pm
Heartland Brewery
Union Square at 17th Street
Manhattan

Tell the hostess "May is Bike Month!" and join us upstairs.
$1 off Heartland Beer.
And check out the newly relaunched BikeMonthNYC.org for all your Bike Month information needs.

Park(ing) Spots Still Needed!

We're still looking for a few good park(ing) spots.

What if a row of cars in front of your local library, favorite coffee shop or bike store was traded for a park? Sound like a far-off fantasy? Well, on NYC Park(ing) Day it's not. On Park(ing) Day neighbors reclaim public space for cars and construct custom "pocket parks." Residents and visitors come to hang out, read, play with kids and enjoy a few more square feet of communal greenspace.

Although these parks won't be built until September 19th, we are already filling out permits to inhabit parking spots on the day. If you are interested in building a Park(ing) Spot on National Park(ing) Day 2008, please register your location now at openplans.org/projects/park-ing-day/potential-parks-2008.

Questions? Please email lindsey@transalt.org

Volunteer for T.A. During Bike Month!

Want to know how to make friends and influence people? What about volunteering for T.A. during bike month?

We need hundreds of volunteers to help with movie screenings, rides and bike parking at events during Bike Month. Check out tourdebrooklyn.org/volunteer and bikemonthnyc.org/volunteer to find out about T.A. volunteer events in May. We especially need help with:

Magazine Mailing Night
Wednesday, May 7th
6-9 pm
T.A. office
127 W 26th St, suite 1002
Manhattan
Help T.A. sort and mail the Spring 2008 issue of Reclaim magazine.

National Bike to Work Day
Friday, May 16th
7-10:30 am
The four East River bridges and the GW Bridge
Help us hand out snacks to commuters and build our member base.

4th Annual Tour de Brooklyn
Sunday, May 25th
8 am-2 pm
Help with the Tour de Brooklyn. We need both riding and non-riding volunteers for this.

Bicycle Film Festival
Sunday, May 28th-June 1st
2nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues
Help T.A. park bikes for the Bike Film Fest, and get a free ticket to the show!

1st Annual Tour de Queens
Sunday, June 8th
8 am-2 pm
Flushing Meadows Park, Queens
Help us kick start the first ever tour de Queens! We need both riding and non riding volunteers for this.

For more information, contact T.A. at volunteer@transalt.org.

Attention Upper West Siders: Planning Workshop

Help imagine how much better your streets could be.

T.A.'s Upper West Side Streets Renaissance Campaign invites residents and regulars to join neighbors and urban planning professionals in two upcoming participatory workshops that will create real street designs to reflect the concerns and aspirations of the people who use them every day. On May 17th we will craft a neighborhood bicycle network plan using the best ideas from around the world, and on May 31st we will bring Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue up to date with a 21st Century design for a complete street.

No one knows what a neighborhood needs more than the people who live there. This is your chance to reclaim the streets of the Upper West Side--don't miss it.

Space is limited; RSVP is required at nycstreets.org/rsvp. More information at nycstreets.org/uws.

What's New in NYC Transportation? A Panel Discussion

Some of NYC's top transportation minds will be talking of things to come.

On Tuesday, April 29th, award winning journalist Roberta Gratz will moderate a discussion about initiatives underway at the New York City Department of Transportation. Panelists inculde Jon Orcutt, Senior Policy Advisor at the DOT; Samuel I. Schwartz, President and CEO, Sam Schwartz Engineering PLLC; Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives; and Robert Yaro, President, Regional Plan Association.

Tuesday, April 29th
6:30 pm
Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue
Manhattan

For more information, please call 212-534-1672, ext. 3395.
You can buy tickets online here.

Make Music New York

Last year, on the summer solstice, Make Music New York organized one of the biggest musical events in the City's history: 560 free outdoor concerts in an incredible array of genres and locations. Thousands of musicians--from Metropolitan Opera artists to underground MC's, Tuvan throat singers to high school bands--entertained New Yorkers on sidewalks, streets, parks, gardens, and even cemeteries throughout all five boroughs of NYC.

Saturday, June 21st, 2008, Make Music New York is back--and it's going to be even bigger and better! Be sure to mark your calendars, and go to makemusicny.org to find out how to participate.

To make sure this years MMNY is as great as it can be, they will be hosting an exclusive cocktail party at the French Embassy on April 21st, with performances by Ayo and Suzanne Vega. Although this is a private VIP fundraising event, there may be room available for some T.A. members. If you're interested email info@transalt.org and put MMNY Party in the subject line.

Pedestrian Safety Town Hall

If you live in Speaker Quinn’s District, speak out for safer streets at her upcoming town hall.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is sponsoring a pedestrian safety town hall to discuss the local transportation changes happening in her district: Chelsea, Clinton and Hell's Kitchen. DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan as well as representatives from the Port Authority, the NYPD, Community Board 4 and Transportation Alternatives will be on hand.

For more information or to RSVP please contact Melanie La Rocca in Speaker Quinn's District Office at 212-564-7757 ext. 104 or at Melanie.LaRocca@council.nyc.gov.

Thursday, May 1st
6:15-8:30 pm
Hudson Guild, Dan Carpenter Room
441 West 26th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Manhattan

WE ACT Earth Day Celebration

Celebrate Earth Day in Harlem with WE ACT for Environmental Justice! There will be green products, services and demonstrations, healthy food, art contests and more! For additional information, click here (PDF).

Saturday, April 19
12-6 pm
Harlem State Office Building
163 W 125th (at Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard)
Manhattan

Climate Ride 2008

Climate Ride 2008 is a five day bicycle ride in which one hundred Climate Riders will pedal 320 miles from Manhattan to Washington, DC to increase awareness of climate change. Climate Riders will encourage government leaders to enact swift and strong carbon cuts and renewable energy legislation, inspire individuals to take responsibility for their carbon footprint and to showcase the bicycle as a viable, carbon-free, healthy and fun method of transportation.

If you're interested in participating, you can find out more at climateride.org.

Making Things Go: Bikes and Human Powered Vehicles

On Friday April 18th, the Staten Island Museum will open the exhibition "Making Things Go: Bikes and Human Powered Vehicles." The opening is sure to be a great event and the display, up through September 28th, features fantastic human powered solutions to a glut of global problems.

Friday, April 18th
Opening Reception
6-9 pm
5 Stuyvesant Place
Staten Island

Drink Beer, Support Cycling

Long Trail Brewing Company, in honor of Earth Day, will donate a portion of its April proceeds to the East Coast Greenway and some other upstanding, environmentally progressive non-profit organizations. So if you happen to spy Long Trail when you're hankering for a brew, drink easy: It's for a good cause.

Sip a Long Trail, Support the East Coast Greenway--if only the rest of life was so simple.