We love the new Native Struggle Bike blog! It offers the unique perspective of cycling through an urban Native perspective.
 
The author says the purpose of the blog is to share "some cycling stories and budget travel adventures; told through low-brow grammar and basic photo editing." Don't let the self-deprecation fool you, though. The photos are amazing and information insightful and useful.
 
We’ve happily followed along as the author prepared and packed for their first bike tour and can’t wait to see how that adventure goes. We highly recommend you come along for the ride, too. 

The Phoenix Aviation Department has been awarded a $10 million federal grant to fund the PHX Cultural Corridor Project. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport applied for the grant. 
 
The Phoenix Cultural Corridor will connect historically disadvantaged Black and Latino neighborhoods surrounding Sky Harbor International Airport with downtown Phoenix. The grant will fund more ADA-compliant sidewalks, protected bike lanes, historic building sites and art work, and even re-establish utility connections. 

Commonly known as the Central City South/Nuestro Barrio area, the area slated for improvement goes from 7th Street to 16th Street and Sky Harbor Circle and I-17 to the Union Pacific Railroad. Neighborhoods that will directly benefit from the program include Cuatro Milpas, Ann Ott, and San Juan Batista.

The $10 million is a federal Department of Transportation Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant.
 

The Vison Zero Community Advisory Committee for Phoenix’s Road Safety Action Plan held its June meeting and we have the highlights for you.  

The good news is the group would meet more frequently than its original plan of quarterly meetings. Thanks to a vote of approval from the Phoenix City Council, the subcommittee will meet every other month for the rest of the year.

The schedule is below so save the date to advocate!

• Thursday, August 17, at 5 p.m.
• Thursday, October 19, at 5 p.m.
• Thursday, December 14, at 5 p.m.

Thus far, the committee has worked to update the city’s High Injury Networks data to include information up to 2022. This data, which tracks the number of people who have been killed or seriously injured (called KSI) in traffic incidents, helps the city target areas to improve and is expected to be available at the next meeting.

The committee will also receive a presentation on the Active Transportation Plan approved by the Phoenix City Council in May at its August meeting. 

Be sure to check psp.bike for links to the hybrid meetings. 

We aren’t going to let the summer heat stop us from hosting our signature Second Saturday Ride!

We’ll just start earlier at 7:45 a.m. and roll out at 8 a.m. We’re still meeting at Short Leash Hot Dogs, located at 4221 N. 7th Ave. However, since Short Leash wont’ be open that early we’ll skip our usual pre-ride breakfast activities.
 
Don’t worry, though. After a leisurely 10- to 12-mile ride downtown, with a possible break at a nearby park, we’ll be back at Short Leash. That’s when we’ll enjoy their awesome selection of food and beverages and each other’s company.
 
As always, all fitness levels are welcome and no one gets left behind on this family friendly bike ride.
 
Check our Facebook page for the route details.

In early June, an overpass section of the I-95 near Pennsylvania was closed after a gas tanker flipped and exploded. Tragically, the driver of the vehicle was killed.

Local officials, the media, and commuters all predicted Carmageddon. Traffic snarls would cause untenable delays. Shipping and supply chain disruptions would impact local and regional economies. The running narrative was an impending, inevitable Carmageddon.

To save society, local and federal politicians spurred the gears of government into quicker-than-usual action. Repairs began almost immediately and were broadcast on a livestream. 

However, something strange happened. Carmageddon didn’t happen.

Instead, people adapted. Ridership of public transit increased. Some people worked from home while others shared rides with fellow commuters. Those still driving took detours that weren't so bad after all. 

Ultimately, traffic congestion basically returned to normal levels within two weeks. We like to think maybe some drivers became permanent public transit users, as sometimes happens when people are forced to benefit from public infrastructure.

This isn't surprising and was, in fact, actually predictable. People adapt any time a highway or major arterial road is closed for construction. After all, highways only become traffic-clogged, slowly moving nightmares due to induced demand. The more lanes you install for cars, the more people drive and worse traffic gets.

The inverse is also true. That's why time and time again we see that when you add bike lanes and better transit options, people tend to voluntarily ditch their cars. 

We hope Phoenix (and the Arizona state legislature, for that matter) takes note of the lessons learned from the plethora of data that has been collected and studied in the wake of this Philadelphia not-a-Carmageddon. 

Namely, that more lanes don’t lead to less traffic. Or, people will use public transportation options when they are the convenient, accessible option. So maybe it’s time to make public transportation as accessible, affordable and convenient as possible.

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