Author Archives: jsallen

About jsallen

John S. Allen is the author or co-author of numerous publications about bicycling including Bicycling Street Smarts, which has been adopted as the bicycle driver's manual in several US states. He has been active with the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition since 1978 and served as a member of the board of Directors of the League of American Bicyclists from 2003 through 2009.

ShelBroCo American Way bicycles

Posted on April 2, 2012 by jsallen

New! Exclusive! Now thanks to ShelBroCo, you can OWN the urban bicycle of your dreams! Take your stand for the American Way!

Posted in Bicycling | 4 Comments

Link to my letter to Senator Scott Brown

Posted on March 20, 2012 by jsallen

My letter to a staffer of Senator Scott Brown about the mandatory sidepath provision in the Federal Tranportation Bill is online. Feel free to re-use it, or parts of it.

Posted in Bicycle facilities, Bicycling, Laws, Sidepaths | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Mandatory sidepath laws, state by state

Posted on March 17, 2012 by jsallen

I don’t like mandatory sidepath laws for bicyclists, but I like the one in the Transportation Bill, applying to roads on Federal lands, even less. (d) BICYCLE SAFETY.—The Secretary of the appropriate Federal land management agency shall prohibit the use … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Sidepaths | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Transportation Bill slams road rights on Federal lands.

Posted on March 16, 2012 by jsallen

In the transportation bill recently passed by the US Senate, the following language remains, as reported on the League of American Bicyclists blog (d) BICYCLE SAFETY.—The Secretary of the appropriate Federal land management agency shall prohibit the use of bicycles … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling | 21 Comments

Bikes, Cars, Light Rail, E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, Arizona

Posted on March 15, 2012 by jsallen

Build it and they will…wait. Well, at least they’re supposed to wait. If you click on the title in the image or caption, you can view this at a higher resolution. Bikes, Cars, Light Rail, E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, Arizona … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Traffic Signals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Shared space” — longer video and discussion

Posted on March 7, 2012 by jsallen

This post is a companion to my earlier one titled “No Rules.” The video here shows my entire ride on Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, with a forward and rearward view, while the one in “No Rules” shows only highlights … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

No rules?

Posted on March 7, 2012 by jsallen

Quite by chance, I encountered an advocate of “shared space” and had a conversation with him at the start of a ride I undertook to illustrate the concept. The advocate expressed that there are “no rules” in this kind of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycle facilities, Bicycling, shared space | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Ian Cooper comments on the C&O Towpath

Posted on February 4, 2012 by jsallen

Cyclist Ian Cooper offers a report on the C&O canal towpath, which I have mentioned in a previous post. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas deserves a lot of credit for preserving the canal as a park, but as Ian … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycle facilities, Bicycling, Crashes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

How many people would go to the trouble?

Posted on January 8, 2012 by jsallen

Christmas Eve, and the temperature outside is 17 degrees Fahrenheit.That’s 7 degrees below zero Celsius. I am wearing trousers over sweatpants, a flannel shirt over a T-shirt, and a watch cap. That way, I am comfortable with the thermostat in … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Transporting children is essential

Posted on December 25, 2011 by jsallen

A colleague has pointed out the advice on transporting children on the Web site of the International Bicycle Fund, describing this advice as “fairly good.” Well, sort of. I regard this advice as unimaginative and incomplete. It repeats the old … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling | 2 Comments