Even though I've lived in New York for decades, I've been to the Bronx Zoo maybe a couple of times. In fact, it's been a while since I've been to any zoo at all: The older I get, the less I like seeing animals in cages--especially if said animals are orange or striped!
Besides, why do I need to go to the Bronx Zoo when I can see this in the Bronx:
I was pedaling along the path to Pelham Bay Park when our friend in the photo stopped for a snack.
As I inched closer, the hungry ungulate hardly even stirred. I'm not sure of exactly how close I could have come, so I stood, bike in hand, and let the creature eat, turn and get a look at me before taking off.
Then I took off--for Connecticut. I didn't see any deer the rest of the way. Only in the Bronx!
Cycling advocates and urban planners sometimes talk about combining modes of transportation. Usually, they mean using a personal and a mass mode of transportation. One example might be riding your bike to the train or bus station.
I'm sure that bicycles have been combined with other modes of transportation in ways I never imagined--or, perhaps,that I wouldn't have wanted to imagine:
I don't know whether to feel more sorry for the "camel" or the bike.
What would you think of an app that signals your approach at an intersection?
Well, the city of Santa Clarita, California--in partnership with Sensys Networks Inc--is piloting such a system along the Chuck Pontius Commuter Rail Bike Trail (Say that three times fast!), which parallels Soledad Canyon Road.
The system consists of a GiveMeGreen! smartphone app, which allows cyclists to be detected 300 feet in advance of an intersection. Once detected, the app's signal applies the normal timing function for pedestrian crossing. This lets pedestrians and cyclists use the same signal phase and "will not cause any delay for motorists," according to a Santa Clarita Gazette report.
While that stated purpose both intrigues and troubles me, I think there might actually be a benefit for cyclists: Motorists are often confused when they see pedestrians and cyclists at intersections, especially if pedestrians are crossing by one signal and cyclists another--or are following the same signals and timing as motorists.
It seems that half of the new system already exists on Soledad Canyon Road: There are bicycle- and pedestrian- only signs to alert turning motorists that cyclists and pedestrians could be crossing the intersection. This system has a bicycle-only light to tell the cyclist he or she has been detected. From what I understand, however, these lights are not connected to an app: Apparently, they rely on cameras or some other detection device at the intersection itself.
I would be interested to see whether this app and its system actually makes cyclists safer when crossing intersections--which, I believe, is the most perilous thing we do, especially if we are crossing a roadway intersection from a bike lane. Then again, I am not sure of how detectable I want to be--or, more specifically, of who I want to detect me, and from where--while I'm riding!
