Streetsblog New York City

The financial world was riveted this morning by billionaire investor Warren Buffett's move to take full ownership of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad, a $34 billion deal that ranks as the largest ever executed by Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway.

But what does Buffett's purchase mean for the nation's energy future? The so-called "Oracle of Omaha" told CNBC today that his decision was "a bet on the country" as well as a bet on the viability of cleaner transportation:

BNSF last year... moved a ton of goods 470 miles on one gallon of diesel. It releases far fewer pollutants into the atmosphere. It saves enormously on energy consumption and... it diminishes highway congestion. Rails last year moved 40 percent, more than 40 percent, over the country. They moved more than all those trucks, just the four big railroads. It's a very effective way of moving goods. I basically believe this country will prosper and you'll have more people moving more goods 10 and 20 and 30 years from now, and the rails should benefit.

That environmental rationale for Buffett's deal struck some in Washington as dubious. Frank O'Donnell, president of the green group Clean Air Watch, wrote on his website that the BNSF deal was "the biggest climate story of the day," bigger even than the political maneuverings of the Senate environment committee:

This is a $34 billion dollar bet that coal will remain the centerpiece of American energy policy in the future. Buffett clearly believes that coal use will remain strong -- and possibly grow. So he is putting his money on a vision of America with no effective climate policy at all -- or at least one that doesn’t slow coal growth.

BNSF's reliance on coal is indisputable; the black stuff has accounted for nearly half of its tonnage this year, and MarketWatch estimates that 10 percent of U.S. electricity comes from coal hauled by the railroad.

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Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer is one of Capitol Hill's strongest voices for walking, biking and transit. Soon after arriving in Congress in 1996, he started the Congressional Bike Caucus, now more than 160 members strong, and he's the founding chairman of the House's new "Livable Communities Task Force," which he announced two weeks ago here on Streetsblog.

Blumenauer's bike commute to the Capitol has become as much a personal hallmark as his predilection for bowties. So when he came to New York this weekend to stump for a progressive federal transportation bill, the congressman didn't pass up the chance to tour our city's evolving bike infrastructure with Paul Steely White and Noah Budnick of Transportation Alternatives. Clarence Eckerson and his camera were there too, of course.

Watch this Streetfilm to hear Blumenauer's thoughts on the big federal transportation bill, the emergence of a national movement for safe biking and walking, and the difference between protected bike lanes and regular old Class 2 facilities. Then ask yourself: When will we get to see a rep from New York City walk, bike, or ride the bus with Clarence?

Following a highly-publicized, intensely-followed trial, Christopher Thompson, the physician accused of using his car to seriously injure two cyclists in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles, is behind bars.

Thompson was convicted yesterday of six felony counts: two counts each, according to VeloNews, of assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious bodily injury, and reckless driving causing specified injury and mayhem.

On July 4, 2008, Thompson passed cyclists Ron Peterson and Christian Stoehr as the pair rode through the emergency room surgeon's upscale neighborhood. Angry after a verbal exchange with the men, Thompson slammed on the brakes of his red Infiniti as Peterson and Stoehr rode behind. Stoehr ended up in front of the car, wounded with a separated shoulder. Peterson hit the rear window, suffering severe facial injuries. Thompson told police on the scene that he was tired of cyclists in his neighborhood and wanted to "teach them a lesson."

At trial, Thompson denied making that statement, claiming that he had been attempting to get photographs of the cyclists, who he said had frightened him. But the jury didn't buy it, possibly because of Thompson's history of hostility toward people on bikes. He was also convicted Monday of misdemeanor reckless driving, a charge stemming from a prior encounter with two other cyclists.

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Navigating the streets and sidewalks of the United States can be a challenge even for an able-bodied pedestrian or cyclist. For people who depend on wheelchairs to get around, the challenges are too often insurmountable -- nearly two decades since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Fortunately, the problem is beginning to get some more attention, in part because of the actions of advocates like those at the National Complete Streets Coalition, who are working to implement complete streets policies around the country and at the federal level.

But in too many American towns and cities, the disregard for people with disabilities is rampant. Today on the Streetsblog Network, we've got a post from Steve Patterson at Urban Review STL. Steve, whom we profiled a couple of months back, had a severe hemorrhagic stroke almost two years ago, and has been using a wheelchair to get around his downtown St. Louis neighborhood. But even before his stroke, he was concerned with the number of sidewalks that are impassable for wheelchair users, forcing them into the street.

Yesterday, he marked a sad anniversary on his blog:

Four years ago today Elizabeth Bansen was struck and killed by an SUV as she returned home from the market two blocks east of her apartment. Although the accident occurred around 6pm, the driver didn’t see Bansen in her wheelchair on the street.  On December 6th 2007 I posted on the jury finding the city negligent in Bansen’s death since the sidewalks were not passable.…

Yesterday I drove over to see the couple of blocks along Delmar to see if the sidewalks between the housing and the market were corrected.  Sadly, the situation is exactly like I found it in December 2007.

In Jackson, Mississippi, the situation is just as bad. There, one persistent man -- Dr. Scott Crawford -- has worked to draw attention to the pathetic condition of the local sidewalks.

We first heard about Crawford nearly a year ago through Transportation for America, when he sent them some pictures documenting the lack of access to bus stops for people with disabilities. Crawford's advocacy got attention from local news outlets. And just a few days ago he was featured in a major USA Today story about how the nation's crumbling and inadequate sidewalks are putting wheelchair users at risk across the country.

Crawford, who is a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit focused on forcing Jackson to comply with the ADA, is a good example of how local advocates can move the debate on an issue of vital importance. He's a real inspiration.

It's Election Day, and everyone seems to agree that when all is said and done, turnout will be shamefully low. So forget about the Marist poll, the Q poll, and the internal campaign polls. What are you seeing at the real polls?

Here's a makeshift screen grab from Game 2 of the World Series, describing how Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee made his way to Yankee Stadium for Game 1 last Wednesday.

According to Fox Sports, after catching a cab from a Midtown hotel, Lee was stuck in traffic an hour later, having traveled about as far as Morningside Heights. Ignoring advice from his handlers to seek NYPD's help getting to the South Bronx, Lee ducked out of the taxi and went underground.

The cabbie had told Lee it would take two additional hours to reach his destination. The subway, even after a transfer, got him there in 35 minutes.

Though he reportedly didn't know which train lines he took (the C to the B, as posited by Gothamist, seems likely), Lee, who starts tonight's Game 5 in Philadelphia, is no stranger to the transit system. Given his super-human performance in the Phillies as-yet sole Series victory, Yankee fans may be hoping for gridlock to help the Bombers put this one away early.

Lee's first pitch is scheduled for 7:57. Amid the excitement of a Yankees win -- or loss -- don't forget polls open tomorrow at 6 a.m.

At a meeting today with his outside economic recovery advisers, President Obama emphasized the importance of shoring up the nation's crumbling infrastructure but warned that the mounting federal deficit would require "more creative, new approaches to financing" investment in transit, bridges, and road repairs.

"I think my team will testify when we got several trillion dollars worth of infrastructure that is falling apart, we need to put people to work, doing the work that America needs done," Obama told reporters. "But we're also in an era of fiscal constraint, which means that we've got to start finding more creative, new approaches to financing these projects."

The economic recovery meeting comes as the White House and congressional Democrats weigh the need for stronger efforts to help stem the rising unemployment rate.

Last week's surprising announcement of 3.5 percent growth in the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) prompted a cautiously positive response from the Obama administration, reflecting concern that job losses could continue into next year.

Transportation spending is playing a central role in that economic recovery debate, with several senior members of Congress touting its job creation potential. The Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin (IL), on Thursday suggested that lawmakers begin working on proposals to boost infrastructure investments, including a possible "front-loading" of the House's stalled six-year transport bill.

But with the deficit at its highest level since World War II and a gas tax increase already ruled out by the White House, what kind of "more creative, new approaches" would the president's team be prepared to support? During unrelated testimony at the House infrastructure committee on Thursday, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood indicated that lack of funding continues to keep the issue in limbo:

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With extremely low turnout expected for tomorrow's mayoral election, Bill Thompson and Mike Bloomberg canvassed the city over the weekend trying to drum up some enthusiasm for their candidacies. For Thompson, the itinerary included a stop in Bedford Stuyvesant this Saturday to protest plans for improving bus service along Nostrand Avenue.

Hopping off the campaign truck at the corner of Fulton and Nostrand, Thompson and the entire citywide Democratic ticket joined local council rep Tish James for a quick show of solidarity with Nostrand Avenue Merchants Association president Lindiwe Kamau. Kamau takes issue with bus improvements planned for Nostrand because, she claims, dedicated bus lanes will eliminate curbside parking along the corridor. Here's the thing: The most recent renderings of Select Bus Service on Nostrand [PDF] depict buses operating in an existing travel lane. The curbside parking lane would still be there.

That didn't stop Thompson, James, John Liu, and Bill de Blasio from lending their support for a few minutes, standing beside Kamau and repeating stock phrases about "protecting small businesses." The biggest constituency they addressed appeared to be the press. About four reporters were on hand, outnumbering Nostrand Avenue merchants by approximately four-to-one. After a light cycle or two, the pols hopped back on the truck and were driven away.

If the Democratic ticket had walked over to the B44 stop around the corner, they would have found a much larger and more captive audience to address. Their message might not have gone over very well though.

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This was the scene in Washington Heights Friday evening, after this guy, along with two others, parked their gigantic rental truck directly in front of a trio of elderly people waiting for the M4 at W. 187th Street and Fort Washington Avenue. Rather than sit passively with the spewing behemoth a few feet from their faces, one of them, a woman shown after the jump, took out her cellphone and began taking pictures.

Since he didn't see a bus coming, the gentleman in the picture above sincerely couldn't understand what the problem was. But his co-worker, also pictured below, was incensed, screaming at the woman and, indirectly, at me, for taking photos. He was angry and aggressive enough that the guy above asked him several times to calm down.

After about 10 minutes, the third man returned (they had stopped so he could use an ATM), and they drove off, honking as they went.

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Election Day kicks off a week of talks and workshops, wrapped up with an East Side bike ride and a walking tour in Brooklyn.

• Tuesday: Remember to vote! Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Find your polling site here.
• Wednesday: Columbia University hosts a lecture by General Motors' former Vice President of Research and Development Larry Burns, entitled "Reinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century." 6 p.m. Reception follows at 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday: The New York Transit Museum features a panel addressing recommendations offered by the recent Regional Plan Association study "Tomorrow's Transit: New Mobility for the Region's Urban Core." The study recommended various means to provide new and upgraded transit for the five boroughs and northern New Jersey, detailing new subway, bus, commuter rail, light rail and ferry projects. 6 p.m.
• Friday: RSVP by today for the joint Open Planning Project / Regional Plan Association workshop to brainstorm new technologies for participatory urban planning, to be held Nov. 13. 5 p.m.
• Saturday: The Institute for Urban Design will host a day-long event titled "Arrested Development: Do Megaprojects Have a Future?" The symposium will examine the effects of the global recession on large-scale developments and the ramifications of the re-emergence of mega-projects. As mega-projects like New York City's Atlantic Yards and the UK's "eco towns" slow down, stall, and even stop, local and national leaders are rethinking the nature of these projects with respect to social and environmental sustainability. 9:30 a.m.
• Sunday: The Transportation Alternatives East Side Committee will lead a bike ride of the U.N.-area gaps in the East River Greenway. 11 a.m. Also on Sunday, in conjunction with its ongoing exhibition "The Last Days of the Myrtle Avenue El," the Transit Museum presents a walking tour of its former route.

Keep an eye on the calendar for updated listings. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.

There's a lot of buzz about bike lanes around the network today.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia links to a local TV news story about how illegally parked cars and even construction materials are frequently blocking newly created bike lanes in that city.

Old news, right?  Drivers use bike lanes as parking spots all the time. But what's really remarkable about the relatively in-depth news segment is that it treats motorists' bad behavior seriously as a safety issue, acknowledging that vehicles parked in a designated bike lane can endanger the lives of cyclists. It's worth watching, if only as evidence of a potential shift in attitude in the mainstream media when it comes to the right of bikes to share the road.

Meanwhile, our Twitter friend @keg41 linked this morning to an LA Times story about the growing number of cyclists in that city and the debate over how best to integrate bikes into an overwhelming car culture. The piece is pegged to the ongoing trial of a Brentwood physician who allegedly used his car to assault two cyclists on the road where he lived, but it goes on to provide a fairly thorough overview of some public health issues associated with biking, including the debate over whether bike lanes are good for bikers. Perhaps the most significant thing about the article is that it doesn't treat biking as something cute or quirky or trendy.

Meanwhile, Twin Cities Streets for People calls out a Prius driver who couldn't seem to stay out of a Minneapolis bike lane. And The WashCycle breaks down a proposed DC zoning change that could mean more bike parking.

Wow.

Our call for pictures of work bikes elicited such an overwhelming response -- more than 300 photos -- that we almost didn't know where to begin. It's truly inspirational and delightful to see how people around the world use bicycles for work (and in some cases to haul some serious gear for play). There seems to be no limit to the inventiveness and resourcefulness of cyclists.

Because of the richness and variety of the pictures you sent (and keep sending), we'll be running at least one and maybe two more slide shows on this theme. Keep watching this space.

For now, here's a selection of some of our favorites, spanning the globe from Beijing to Bogotá to San Francisco.

Many thanks to all our contributors, including those at ITDP, Cyclelicious, Tucson Bike Lawyer, Bikejuju, Bikes and the City, Utility Cycling, Cenas a Pedal and Rock the Bike.

If you've missed our past slide shows, on bike traffic and space hogs, you might want to check them out.

In September, dozens of people turned out for the Livable Streets Initiative's first bike rack hunt in North Brooklyn, where we identified about 70 spots that are begging for some nice bike parking. The locations will be submitted to DOT as a bulk order for bike racks. But first, we're raising the stakes.

With your help, LSI and Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG) will suggest 300 locations for new bike racks in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Finding good locations for bike parking is tougher than you'd think. The trick is to verify that all 300 spots are actually suitable for racks. This handy "How to Get Your NYC Bike Racks" Streetfilm by Robin Urban Smith explains it all.

So here's the plan: This Sunday, you're invited to join us on a "Tag or Treat" ride. We're going to spread the word by scouring the streets for bikes and attaching notes that explain how to suggest bike rack locations using the FixCity: Bike Racks site. Then on November 22, we're going to collect all the locations submitted through the website and put on a contest. Top prize goes to the person who verifies the most locations as suitable for bike racks (details to come).

If you can't make it to either event, you can still suggest a rack location and verify that it is appropriate online. And starting Monday, if you have a smart phone you'll be able to submit rack suggestions via email, on the spot. Simply snap a photo and send it to racks@fixcity.org. Include the address and name of the nearest establishment in the subject line and any further description in the message body (use the format at right). But first, watch the Streetfilm so you can suggest spots that DOT will actually take advantage of.

The bulk order for North Brooklyn is a pilot project of FixCity. If you'd like to get more involved in this bulk order or organize another one in your neighborhood, contact info@fixcity.org.