MyWHaT

Let’s loosen up a little with the Rwandan Grand Prix with cameo by the Where the Hell is Matt guy.

From the Orphans of Rwanda school in Kigali, Rwanda.

Extra:

I visited Rwanda in 2007 and these type of organizations for orphans, widows, HIV/AIDS patients, economic development…are numerous and contributing to the country’s rebuilding.

One of my favorites was Bikes to Rwanda

Their mission:

Bikes To Rwanda’s aim is to provide cargo bicycles to co-operative coffee farmers in Rwanda. The goal is to improve quality of life in these communities through a bike workshop and maintenance program that provides transportation resources for basic needs and enhances production of quality coffee.

The need for cargo bikes was evident in the coffee growing regions (where I was) as Rwanda only has a few main roads and even side roads are often difficult. Farmers need a means to get their harvest to the highways to get picked up by trucks and to the market. A sturdy cargo bike saves an enormous amount of time and energy. The bikes are designed and developed by Project Rwanda.

A cargo bike is the primary mode of moving products to market through-out Rwanda.

An article in Posted Toronto has a list of pet peeves by cyclists that were collected by an officer who stopped them on their commutes. Great idea and such a good use of a police officer’s time. Really.

Having been pulled over while riding on my bike for some minor acts, I’d love to get pulled over to be asked, “What bothers you most when riding (or walking) around?”

The number one pet peeve?

Infrastructure: By a landslide! Lots of responses for this in many forms from bike lanes that lead nowhere, to lanes that aren’t cleared of leaves and snow along with not enough bike lanes and poor road maintenance and street car tracks

Under valued & maintained bike racks in high flow areas, like downtown is one of the author's pet peeves.

Read more and comments at Cyclists’ Pet Peeves

In many neighborhoods in Chengdu, China there is no clear definition between Active Modes of Transportation and motorized. But, traffic is calm and there is a recognizable flow. (Photo: May 2009)

Yet another new term, Active Modes of Transportation, to introduce into the livability & infrastructure discussion.  Basically, any form of human-powered transportation.

A useful term when asking that planners give priority to humans and the human-powered, before providing for machines.

What are some Active Modes of Transportation that you’d like to see in your neighborhood?

There is a group I know who would petition for cross-country skiing corridors to get across town. All the city would have to do is leave a section unimproved. At least when the snow is right.