Comments on: Bikeconomics: Crowdsourcing My Thesis http://anomalily.net AnomaLily.net is the personal website of Lillian Karabaic Fri, 18 May 2012 06:32:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joe R http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-513 Joe R Fri, 18 May 2012 06:32:32 +0000 http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-513 Qualitative interviews: How does home income affect decisions to use a car/bike/public transit if you look at people who don't bike to work but want to bike. My hypothesis is that people with money have more choices, and more money tends to lead to more multi mode choices. Thus, how could a city adjust for the classism and get people to work on bikes and transit that want to be on bikes and transit.? Qualitative interviews: How does home income affect decisions to use a car/bike/public transit if you look at people who don’t bike to work but want to bike. My hypothesis is that people with money have more choices, and more money tends to lead to more multi mode choices. Thus, how could a city adjust for the classism and get people to work on bikes and transit that want to be on bikes and transit.?

]]> By: s.mirk http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-303 s.mirk Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:19:16 +0000 http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-303 I think there's a lot of great research out there, but what I see as a problem is actually getting people to understand and access the research. I would love to see a project where you make the current research more accessible and relevant to non-wonks. Instead of launching into your own erudite research, could your thesis be making a comic or website that explains some specific issues in a highly readable way? I would love to see a comic about how public transportation vs. cars are funded, or a website that collects user info about how they get around and how much they spend on transportation. You'd be good at making both those things! I think there’s a lot of great research out there, but what I see as a problem is actually getting people to understand and access the research. I would love to see a project where you make the current research more accessible and relevant to non-wonks. Instead of launching into your own erudite research, could your thesis be making a comic or website that explains some specific issues in a highly readable way? I would love to see a comic about how public transportation vs. cars are funded, or a website that collects user info about how they get around and how much they spend on transportation. You’d be good at making both those things!

]]> By: Peter Lilienthal http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-143 Peter Lilienthal Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:43:22 +0000 http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-143 How about exploring the relationship between transit, urban planning, and population density gradients? I've always been curious what the optimal distribution of different housing types would be when transit is developed. Make different assumptions about the distributiono of people's preferences for large yards, private entrances, flats vs townhouses, acceptable walking/biking distance to a transit station, etc. How about exploring the relationship between transit, urban planning, and population density gradients? I’ve always been curious what the optimal distribution of different housing types would be when transit is developed. Make different assumptions about the distributiono of people’s preferences for large yards, private entrances, flats vs townhouses, acceptable walking/biking distance to a transit station, etc.

]]> By: Peter S. http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-142 Peter S. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:46:43 +0000 http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-142 I am an old Reed grad and a quant by training and background...now working in banking. What I have always thought interesting about transportation, particularly different modes of transportation, is the economics of choice and how individuals make the decision to use a particular mode e.g. bicycle versus tram versus walking. Clearly the distance, geographic distribution and interest of of destinations ("gravity") is a variable. Is there a combination of gravity and transportation modality that can produce a fossil-fuel-free transportation solution that is optimal? Taking an a particular urban gravity profile as a given how does one quantity the trade-offs in choice of transportation (shadow prices) and is there a local solution that is good but not as good as a less central-tending global solution? At the most fundamental level: what are the choice characteristics of non-fossil fuel modes of transportation which cause fossil fuel modes of transportation to dominate and, most importantly, how far do the choice characteristics of non-fosill fuel modes of transportation need to change before switching occurs? I am an old Reed grad and a quant by training and background…now working in banking. What I have always thought interesting about transportation, particularly different modes of transportation, is the economics of choice and how individuals make the decision to use a particular mode e.g. bicycle versus tram versus walking. Clearly the distance, geographic distribution and interest of of destinations (“gravity”) is a variable. Is there a combination of gravity and transportation modality that can produce a fossil-fuel-free transportation solution that is optimal? Taking an a particular urban gravity profile as a given how does one quantity the trade-offs in choice of transportation (shadow prices) and is there a local solution that is good but not as good as a less central-tending global solution? At the most fundamental level: what are the choice characteristics of non-fossil fuel modes of transportation which cause fossil fuel modes of transportation to dominate and, most importantly, how far do the choice characteristics of non-fosill fuel modes of transportation need to change before switching occurs?

]]> By: revphil http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-126 revphil Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:30:22 +0000 http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-126 my question is where does the economics meet the ecologics (sp) Carbon output seems the most common metric for these things, but so much of our struggle is to work towards harm reduction in transportation. If we are to follow R. Crumb's ideas about our future* could we way that culture and capital delivered via the bicycle should always lead us towards a better chance of our species salvation? * http://www.lagunabeachbikini.com/wordpress/wp-content/images/2010/critical-thinking/RCrumbFuture.jpg maybe ill try asking a more clear question later. Thanks and good luck! my question is where does the economics meet the ecologics (sp)

Carbon output seems the most common metric for these things, but so much of our struggle is to work towards harm reduction in transportation.

If we are to follow R. Crumb’s ideas about our future* could we way that culture and capital delivered via the bicycle should always lead us towards a better chance of our species salvation?

* http://www.lagunabeachbikini.com/wordpress/wp-content/images/2010/critical-thinking/RCrumbFuture.jpg

maybe ill try asking a more clear question later. Thanks and good luck!

]]> By: Benjamin Barber http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-117 Benjamin Barber Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:26 +0000 http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-117 I want to know about the CO2 footprint of bicycling instead of driving. Say for example 1hr of bike riding at 13mph = 563 calories 1 hamburger = 359 calories 1 hamburger = 5lbs of emitted CO2 (excluding methane). (((563/359) * 5) / 13) = .6 lbs of C02 per mile. Prius ~ 50mpg gasoline = 19lbs / gallon burned EROI of gasoline 8:1 (to refined product) transportation to pump: neglible ((19 * 1.125) / 50) = .4275 lbs of C02 per mile I want to know about the CO2 footprint of bicycling instead of driving.

Say for example 1hr of bike riding at 13mph = 563 calories
1 hamburger = 359 calories
1 hamburger = 5lbs of emitted CO2 (excluding methane).
(((563/359) * 5) / 13) = .6 lbs of C02 per mile.

Prius ~ 50mpg
gasoline = 19lbs / gallon burned
EROI of gasoline 8:1 (to refined product)
transportation to pump: neglible
((19 * 1.125) / 50) = .4275 lbs of C02 per mile

]]> By: Kirk http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-109 Kirk Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:23:46 +0000 http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-109 If a bike registration program were set-up, what % of existing cyclists would stop cycling, what % of potential cyclists would be completely turned off from cycling to not even want to try in the first place, and in general how much money would be lost simply due to the idea of registering bikes. How does this compare to the revenue that would be generated, and $ required to operate such a program? Also...how many people would be affected that own multiple bikes? If a bike registration program were set-up, what % of existing cyclists would stop cycling, what % of potential cyclists would be completely turned off from cycling to not even want to try in the first place, and in general how much money would be lost simply due to the idea of registering bikes. How does this compare to the revenue that would be generated, and $ required to operate such a program? Also…how many people would be affected that own multiple bikes?

]]> By: Joe Biel http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-107 Joe Biel Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:01:01 +0000 http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-107 How could the projected CRC budget be spent in a way that yields the largest amount of job creation? How could the projected CRC budget be spent in a way that yields the largest amount of job creation?

]]> By: Craig Harlow http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-106 Craig Harlow Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:30:27 +0000 http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-106 <i>What would be the far-and-wide reaching implications in Portland and the tri-county region of a no-fare public transit sytem?</i> Lily thanks for asking for our questions. I emailed Michael Anderson about this yesterday... From: Harlow, Craig Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 5:06 PM To: Michael Andersen (michael@portlandafoot.org) Subject: Tri-Met Fare Jumpers Michael, This story in the Merc put me in mind of something. http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2012/01/31/trimet-gets-tough-on-fare-jumpers Along the lines of the visionary thinking of Toward Car-free Cities, I was wondering about a new local dialogue about free public transit. A Tri-Met driver told me last night that since the transfer times have been shortened, he’s seeing a much higher number of riders simply boarding without much effort at even discussing fares, let alone paying—or only partially displaying their expired transfer tickets and cruising right through and ignoring the driver--and he feels intimidated and helpless, and has become complacent about it. I was reminded of a news story from 1 or 2 years ago about a US city—I can’t remember which, though I seem to remember it was in Texas?—that was going to implement a changeover to a universally free public transit system. Despite my best Googling, I can’t find it. Did I dream it? What I recall from the story was... • In a down economy, let the general tax base fund transit to cost is no barrier to everyone getting around town to their jobs, job interviews, school, occupational training, health care appointments, etc. • Some operational costs will drop due to removal of fare collections, inspections, and associated overhead, maintenance, etc. • The cost to the general tax base will be offset/replenished by higher employment rate, ergo payroll taxes; reduced unemployment claims; reduced demand on public and non-profit social services, etc. etc etc. • Society benefits from a lower crime rate and associated public costs, lower drop-out rate, and an overall better-stimulated local economy I found this Florida study from 2002 about the pros/cons of no-fare public transit: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/research-center/Completed_Proj/Summary_PTO/FDOT_BC137_38_FF_rpt.pdf And this! http://www.freepublictransit.org/index.php?pr=Success_Stories FWIW, Craig Harlow What would be the far-and-wide reaching implications in Portland and the tri-county region of a no-fare public transit sytem?

Lily thanks for asking for our questions. I emailed Michael Anderson about this yesterday…

From: Harlow, Craig
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 5:06 PM
To: Michael Andersen (michael@portlandafoot.org)
Subject: Tri-Met Fare Jumpers

Michael,

This story in the Merc put me in mind of something. http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2012/01/31/trimet-gets-tough-on-fare-jumpers

Along the lines of the visionary thinking of Toward Car-free Cities, I was wondering about a new local dialogue about free public transit.

A Tri-Met driver told me last night that since the transfer times have been shortened, he’s seeing a much higher number of riders simply boarding without much effort at even discussing fares, let alone paying—or only partially displaying their expired transfer tickets and cruising right through and ignoring the driver–and he feels intimidated and helpless, and has become complacent about it.

I was reminded of a news story from 1 or 2 years ago about a US city—I can’t remember which, though I seem to remember it was in Texas?—that was going to implement a changeover to a universally free public transit system. Despite my best Googling, I can’t find it. Did I dream it? What I recall from the story was…

• In a down economy, let the general tax base fund transit to cost is no barrier to everyone getting around town to their jobs, job interviews, school, occupational training, health care appointments, etc.
• Some operational costs will drop due to removal of fare collections, inspections, and associated overhead, maintenance, etc.
• The cost to the general tax base will be offset/replenished by higher employment rate, ergo payroll taxes; reduced unemployment claims; reduced demand on public and non-profit social services, etc. etc etc.
• Society benefits from a lower crime rate and associated public costs, lower drop-out rate, and an overall better-stimulated local economy

I found this Florida study from 2002 about the pros/cons of no-fare public transit: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/research-center/Completed_Proj/Summary_PTO/FDOT_BC137_38_FF_rpt.pdf

And this! http://www.freepublictransit.org/index.php?pr=Success_Stories

FWIW,
Craig Harlow

]]> By: Michael Hart http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-105 Michael Hart Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:22:56 +0000 http://anomalily.net/?page_id=74#comment-105 We need an analysis of the bicycle advocacy scene in the US. Everything from Critical Mass to the nerdy-wonky-plannies. Then we need to find out how much NHTSA spends on safety for cycling. We get PDF pamphlets and drunk driving gets millions of PSA dollars. At this juncture what is the return on a DD PSA? We need an analysis of the bicycle advocacy scene in the US.
Everything from Critical Mass to the nerdy-wonky-plannies.
Then we need to find out how much NHTSA spends on safety for cycling.
We get PDF pamphlets and drunk driving gets millions of PSA dollars. At this juncture what is the return on a DD PSA?

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