Biking and busing as a form of commuting seems to be gaining popularity.
Buses owned by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada carried bikes about 692,000 times last year, up from 587,500 in 2006 and 504,000 in 2004.
It may help that newer RTC buses can handle three bikes. The old buses could accommodate only two.
But it’s unclear what prompted the increase in interest. Are we observing a glacial shift from cars toward cheaper, greener alternatives? Did RTC’s promotion of transit and cycling as a joint commuting alternative help prompt the shift?
Yes and yes, transportation analysts say. Certainly, cycling has become a more appealing mode of commuting, reflecting new bike lanes and paths throughout the valley.
RTC officials are pushing this further.
The new ACE rapid-transit bus lines, launching in the winter, will have space for three bikes inside, and a new transit hub in downtown Las Vegas will cater to the biker.
Construction of the hub, at Bonneville Avenue and Casino Center Boulevard, begins this month. RTC officials hope it’s completed by late 2010.
Cyclists will be able to check their bikes at the hub and store them during the day. RTC is calling this feature a “bike valet.” (Officials have yet to resolve liability issues and set the cost to store bikes.) And there will be an on-site bike-repair shop.
sexy08.10.10 - 6:16 pm
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From azcentral.com August 6, 2010
An 82-year-old driver who Phoenix police allege hit and killed an 11-year-old girl on her bike Thursday night apparently did not see the girl crossing the street.
The 11-year-old and her friend, 13, were crossing the intersection of 15th Avenue and Union Hills Drive at about 6:30 p.m. as an 82-year-old woman attempted to make a left turn in a minivan, said Sgt. Steve Martos, a Phoenix police spokesman.
The 13-year-old told police she made it across the street, then heard a noise and turned around but didn't see her friend. The minivan had struck the younger girl and pinned her underneath, Martos said. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver reportedly told police that she saw the first girl cross the street, but did not see the second girl following behind.
Martos said the woman was not impaired and likely will not be charged.
Police are still investigating.
Initial reports said the victim was 12, but Martos said Friday that she was 11.
Interview with parents of girl killed while riding bike in Phoenix
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sexy08.10.10 - 6:21 pm
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