Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Customer Service Division New York City Department of Transportation Replies To SkateBoard Stick Figure Indication Request
We are happy to report the Customer Service Division, New York City Department of Transportation has replied to our request to have the issue of missing skateboard, stick figure, traffic flow signs in bike lanes be reviewed. Unfortunately they had a disclaimer at the bottom other their post so we are unable to re-post here. They cited a mid September 2011 reply time.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Fight Climate Change : Avoid As Many Motorized Vehicle Commutes As You Can.
Avoid As Many Motorized Vehicle Commutes As You Can. Commit to riding a skateboard 1 out of 10 times that you would normally use a motorized vehicle for commutes of distance's of 2 miles or less.
Transport statistics bear out the following facts:
-40% of commutes in America are 2 miles or less
- 90% of these trips are by automobile
-24% of Americas carbon dioxide emissions come from motorized vehicles
-Driving releases 20 lbs. of carbon dioxide per gallon of gas
-If one out of ten car commuters switched to a skateboard CO2 emissions would be reduced 25.4 million tons per year
-The cost of operating a car per year is $5,170.00
-The cost of operating a skateboard is $0.00
-Skateboards require no parking space
-1000 Skateboards can be produced for the same energy and resources required to build 1 medium sized car
- If 1 million people replaced a 2 mile car trip once per week with a skateboard ride CO2 emissions could be reduced by 50,000 tons per year
-We encourage you to consider a skateboard on your next commute for 2 miles or less
Fight climate change. Avoid as many motorized vehicle commutes as you can. Remember that the definition of fitness is strength + endurance + balance. A skateboard provides all three during your commute. Hand drawn trailers by skateboard commuting dwarf the carrying capacity of a back pack. A hand drawn trailer while skateboard commuting can carry 70 lbs. and still be quite mobile.
Photo©2011 Susoix
Transport statistics bear out the following facts:
-40% of commutes in America are 2 miles or less
- 90% of these trips are by automobile
-24% of Americas carbon dioxide emissions come from motorized vehicles
-Driving releases 20 lbs. of carbon dioxide per gallon of gas
-If one out of ten car commuters switched to a skateboard CO2 emissions would be reduced 25.4 million tons per year
-The cost of operating a car per year is $5,170.00
-The cost of operating a skateboard is $0.00
-Skateboards require no parking space
-1000 Skateboards can be produced for the same energy and resources required to build 1 medium sized car
- If 1 million people replaced a 2 mile car trip once per week with a skateboard ride CO2 emissions could be reduced by 50,000 tons per year
-We encourage you to consider a skateboard on your next commute for 2 miles or less
Fight climate change. Avoid as many motorized vehicle commutes as you can. Remember that the definition of fitness is strength + endurance + balance. A skateboard provides all three during your commute. Hand drawn trailers by skateboard commuting dwarf the carrying capacity of a back pack. A hand drawn trailer while skateboard commuting can carry 70 lbs. and still be quite mobile.
Photo©2011 Susoix
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Children's Scooter Use As Prime "SkateBoard Is Transport" Education
With the massive rise of children's scooter use. the nation is poised WITH the possibility to inculcate the young with safe education into the transport sport lifestyle of skateboarding as sport and transport. Fitness is: strength + endurance + balance.
Skateboard commuitng offers all three getting to school every day with a smile on your face.
ONE MORE STAR ONE LESS CAR
photo©2011SUSOIX
Skateboard commuitng offers all three getting to school every day with a smile on your face.
ONE MORE STAR ONE LESS CAR
photo©2011SUSOIX
Advocating For SkateBoard Is Transport In Rye, N.Y.
Recently we reached out to a blog publisher that was following the longboarding issues the city council was addressing in Rye, N.Y.. We noted it in a previous post on this blog. Jay Sears of MyRye.com kindly replied back. We address a reply to him here with the hopes we begin to attract more attenion to this issue in and around the broader 75 mile radius of NYC. We'd like to see more participation of this dialog by all involved inside this radius.
Dear Jay,
Thank you for your reply and attention to this issue in Rye, N.Y. regarding your growing longboard commuters and how your city council is treating the issue. We have no members in Rye, N.Y. as of yet. Skateboard Is Transport for the moment is not taking on members. We are a tiny group of concerned citizen skateboard commuters setting about to advocate, study the issues, gain members later on and help set policy while partnering with government and other groups concerned with helping to add human powered vehicles (HPV) to the traffic grid.
We only have this blog so far. We just began last week! Our challenge is a large one. We are advocating on both ends of this issue so it would seem. Transportation Alternatives, www.transalt.org will not advocate in behalf of the noble skateboard as vehicle. Nor will they even acknowledge that it is a vehicle. Amazing but true.
The city government in NYC, we think, is so overwhelmed and the skateboard commuter numbers are not quite large enough for NYC to take note and set policy. Which by the way might end up being regressive policy since any way since there is no advocacy group of note that might advocate for progressive policy NYC could follow.
T.A.'s lack of clear vision was the principal reason we created S.I.T. We had thought T.A. would assist a growing HPV (human powered vehicle movement.) So we imagined that an advocacy organization same as this one would not need to be created. We saw a time in the not to distant future when NYC would begin to make skateboard transport policy and we hoped T.A.www.transalt.org would be there as a progressive force to advocate for the noble skateboard's safe incorporation onto the traffic grid.
Since we have been shown the door, so to speak, and proclaimed to not even be vehicles by T.A., we quickly began SkateBoard Is Transport recognizing that soon NYC will require a good skateboard as transport advocate that they can rely on to provide progressive guidance on skateboard commuting needs and regulations. The skateboard commuter numbers are enormous here in NYC. Of course for NYC to take note they need to be astronomically large, we see NYC reaching those numbers, soon.
So it's all very new. Right now this blog is all we have and we want to begin to attract attention to even the simple fact that once and for all, an honest to goodness "skateboard as transport only," advocacy group exists. Nationally there have been many groups to advocate for more skateboard parks but none advocating "exclusively" in behalf of skateboard transportation. In Portland, OR the local government is supporting skateboard as transport and we will begin to follow them closely on policy. Tom Miller is doing very good progressive, HPV policy work in our opinion.
The longboarder's and more intensely the skateboarder's themselves have much to face up to. They really want respect, as well as the liberty to do as they want whenever they want. Many take a regressive stand shunning skateboard as transport advocacy, preferring to have a head in the sand and claim advocacy will only lead to attention and attention they claim, will force them to comply to traffic laws and they don't want that either. Traffic surfing may be a gas, but the days of traffic surfing are coming to a close as we see it.
There are simply to many people and it is no longer a scale-able viable reality to imagine skateboarders constantly swerving in and out of the traffic grid. How is it skateboarders imagine they and they alone, will be afforded this right is a curious reality. What if BMX bikes wanted the same right? Motorcycles? The fact is, most vehicles may be operated in challenging and titillating sporty ways that put others in harms way, that does not mean the traffic grid at all times is at the disposal of people with these intentions. The greater good is not served well by such regressive ideas.
There will need to be education on both sides. Funny as it is, this organization will be not appreciated by either side 100%. Of course, this organization is clearly one of the answers for skateboard as transport, evidenced by the middle ground position it is taking as well as it's dedication to a 100% safety policy for both the skateboard riders and their fellow commuters on the traffic grid no matter how they might be moving about, pedestrians included.
One way we see solutions to the sport issue, is by establishing zones for longboard sport same as we have parks for the smaller skateboard to perform tricks and challenging of vertical balance acts. Those interested in the execution of the longboard sport dynamic shall have a safe place to be and practice. These zones may be shared space areas. In other words off hours on clearly marked roads set aside for the participation and execution of longboard sport. These are challenging concepts of road use and sharing. But we are all tax payers and we all have our needs and desires. Longboarding is quickly becoming a sport of massive interest.
Considering the country has a massive obesity issue and the fact that this activity is a "transport sport" activity (renders both sport lifestyle, followed by transport commuting skills) it would seem rather clear that progressive policy helping lessen obesity and helping move towards an increase in human powered vehicles are highly critical issues for the countries well being, as well as to that of local communities. Interest in skateboard as transport is a massive plus not a negative. To lessen this interest or to ban it is regressive and damaging to the countries health at this time. This is the position this organization takes.
As skateboard commuting grows it obviously requires rules and regulations beyond that of a tribe or "community" as longboarders have been calling themselves. Same as the car needed traffic lights least the four way intersection would never have worked, same too does the skateboard need rules and policy least we have daily mayhem on the traffic grid at all times. Four way intersections were death zones in the early days of automobiles. The time has come to sort out and dispel prevailing regressive views and attitudes on both sides of this issue. SkateBoard Is Transport will seek to do just this and we hope to give encouragement to more movements like this.
The issues are big and they are not going away. Criminalization of the vehicle via complete bans are not the answer, especially when there are clear ways towards safe and healthy incorporation.
The issue is the same as drag racing cars. Cars are drag raced in the appropriate places and they get used on the traffic grid as well. These are not difficult issues to understand although since we are coming out of the golden days of longboarding where limited growth allowed for minor indiscretions at all times, longboarders have been accustomed to doing anything at all times without much note taken by anyone. The longboard populace is accustomed to this and slowly needs to be shown progressive ways towards longboard sport participation and longboard commuting. At the same time the main stream should begin to see the benefit of all HPV, human power vehicles, and allow for their safe integration as both transport and sport.
Regards,
cubi
Enrique Cubillo
SkateBoard is Transport
Your Advocate for SkateBoard As Transport
On Aug 13, 2011, at 9:14 AM, jaysears@yahoo.com wrote:
Sure
Do you have more information, members in Rye, or a letter to the editor?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From: enrique cubillo <skateboardistransport@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:51:15
To: <publisher@MyRye.com>
Subject: fyi
This is a new organization. We would like to help shed some light on
the Local RYE government on what longboarding could be.
I hope you will join in and support.
Best,
cubi
Enrique Cubillo
SkateBoard is Transport
Your Advocate for SkateBoard As Transport
©2011Susoix
Dear Jay,
Thank you for your reply and attention to this issue in Rye, N.Y. regarding your growing longboard commuters and how your city council is treating the issue. We have no members in Rye, N.Y. as of yet. Skateboard Is Transport for the moment is not taking on members. We are a tiny group of concerned citizen skateboard commuters setting about to advocate, study the issues, gain members later on and help set policy while partnering with government and other groups concerned with helping to add human powered vehicles (HPV) to the traffic grid.
We only have this blog so far. We just began last week! Our challenge is a large one. We are advocating on both ends of this issue so it would seem. Transportation Alternatives, www.transalt.org will not advocate in behalf of the noble skateboard as vehicle. Nor will they even acknowledge that it is a vehicle. Amazing but true.
The city government in NYC, we think, is so overwhelmed and the skateboard commuter numbers are not quite large enough for NYC to take note and set policy. Which by the way might end up being regressive policy since any way since there is no advocacy group of note that might advocate for progressive policy NYC could follow.
T.A.'s lack of clear vision was the principal reason we created S.I.T. We had thought T.A. would assist a growing HPV (human powered vehicle movement.) So we imagined that an advocacy organization same as this one would not need to be created. We saw a time in the not to distant future when NYC would begin to make skateboard transport policy and we hoped T.A.www.transalt.org would be there as a progressive force to advocate for the noble skateboard's safe incorporation onto the traffic grid.
Since we have been shown the door, so to speak, and proclaimed to not even be vehicles by T.A., we quickly began SkateBoard Is Transport recognizing that soon NYC will require a good skateboard as transport advocate that they can rely on to provide progressive guidance on skateboard commuting needs and regulations. The skateboard commuter numbers are enormous here in NYC. Of course for NYC to take note they need to be astronomically large, we see NYC reaching those numbers, soon.
So it's all very new. Right now this blog is all we have and we want to begin to attract attention to even the simple fact that once and for all, an honest to goodness "skateboard as transport only," advocacy group exists. Nationally there have been many groups to advocate for more skateboard parks but none advocating "exclusively" in behalf of skateboard transportation. In Portland, OR the local government is supporting skateboard as transport and we will begin to follow them closely on policy. Tom Miller is doing very good progressive, HPV policy work in our opinion.
The longboarder's and more intensely the skateboarder's themselves have much to face up to. They really want respect, as well as the liberty to do as they want whenever they want. Many take a regressive stand shunning skateboard as transport advocacy, preferring to have a head in the sand and claim advocacy will only lead to attention and attention they claim, will force them to comply to traffic laws and they don't want that either. Traffic surfing may be a gas, but the days of traffic surfing are coming to a close as we see it.
There are simply to many people and it is no longer a scale-able viable reality to imagine skateboarders constantly swerving in and out of the traffic grid. How is it skateboarders imagine they and they alone, will be afforded this right is a curious reality. What if BMX bikes wanted the same right? Motorcycles? The fact is, most vehicles may be operated in challenging and titillating sporty ways that put others in harms way, that does not mean the traffic grid at all times is at the disposal of people with these intentions. The greater good is not served well by such regressive ideas.
There will need to be education on both sides. Funny as it is, this organization will be not appreciated by either side 100%. Of course, this organization is clearly one of the answers for skateboard as transport, evidenced by the middle ground position it is taking as well as it's dedication to a 100% safety policy for both the skateboard riders and their fellow commuters on the traffic grid no matter how they might be moving about, pedestrians included.
One way we see solutions to the sport issue, is by establishing zones for longboard sport same as we have parks for the smaller skateboard to perform tricks and challenging of vertical balance acts. Those interested in the execution of the longboard sport dynamic shall have a safe place to be and practice. These zones may be shared space areas. In other words off hours on clearly marked roads set aside for the participation and execution of longboard sport. These are challenging concepts of road use and sharing. But we are all tax payers and we all have our needs and desires. Longboarding is quickly becoming a sport of massive interest.
Considering the country has a massive obesity issue and the fact that this activity is a "transport sport" activity (renders both sport lifestyle, followed by transport commuting skills) it would seem rather clear that progressive policy helping lessen obesity and helping move towards an increase in human powered vehicles are highly critical issues for the countries well being, as well as to that of local communities. Interest in skateboard as transport is a massive plus not a negative. To lessen this interest or to ban it is regressive and damaging to the countries health at this time. This is the position this organization takes.
As skateboard commuting grows it obviously requires rules and regulations beyond that of a tribe or "community" as longboarders have been calling themselves. Same as the car needed traffic lights least the four way intersection would never have worked, same too does the skateboard need rules and policy least we have daily mayhem on the traffic grid at all times. Four way intersections were death zones in the early days of automobiles. The time has come to sort out and dispel prevailing regressive views and attitudes on both sides of this issue. SkateBoard Is Transport will seek to do just this and we hope to give encouragement to more movements like this.
The issues are big and they are not going away. Criminalization of the vehicle via complete bans are not the answer, especially when there are clear ways towards safe and healthy incorporation.
The issue is the same as drag racing cars. Cars are drag raced in the appropriate places and they get used on the traffic grid as well. These are not difficult issues to understand although since we are coming out of the golden days of longboarding where limited growth allowed for minor indiscretions at all times, longboarders have been accustomed to doing anything at all times without much note taken by anyone. The longboard populace is accustomed to this and slowly needs to be shown progressive ways towards longboard sport participation and longboard commuting. At the same time the main stream should begin to see the benefit of all HPV, human power vehicles, and allow for their safe integration as both transport and sport.
Regards,
cubi
Enrique Cubillo
SkateBoard is Transport
Your Advocate for SkateBoard As Transport
On Aug 13, 2011, at 9:14 AM, jaysears@yahoo.com wrote:
Sure
Do you have more information, members in Rye, or a letter to the editor?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From: enrique cubillo <skateboardistransport@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:51:15
To: <publisher@MyRye.com>
Subject: fyi
This is a new organization. We would like to help shed some light on
the Local RYE government on what longboarding could be.
I hope you will join in and support.
Best,
cubi
Enrique Cubillo
SkateBoard is Transport
Your Advocate for SkateBoard As Transport
©2011SusoixNYC, Summer Streets
Summer Streets, NYC is tomorrow! The best event of the year for skateboard as transport advocacy!
We hope to see you out global rolling.
Central Park LongBoarder will be there for certain.
©2011Susoix
We hope to see you out global rolling.
Central Park LongBoarder will be there for certain.
©2011Susoix
Rye, N.Y.. City Council Debating SkateBoard Transport
We had heard there were issues boiling over with our neighbors to the north in Rye, N.Y. regarding the budding longboard communters. I'm certain longboarders want freedom to play and council members want safety for all. Commuting is not a constant playland and roads are meant to be shared by all tax payers so that all of us may get to where we need to go by means of our chosen form of transport.
The issues are hard ones but should best be addressed with progressive outcomes towards the obvious inclusion of more human powered transport. Below is a quote from a recent meeting and a link to a blog where the discussion continues. Be considerate of all views and add your voice. We plan to head up north soon to see for ourselves what the major issues and policies are.
"At a recent city council meeting, Councilman Joe Sack expressed concern about Rye's "skateboard problem" cause by the popular long boards. What do you think? Leave a comment below."
The issues are hard ones but should best be addressed with progressive outcomes towards the obvious inclusion of more human powered transport. Below is a quote from a recent meeting and a link to a blog where the discussion continues. Be considerate of all views and add your voice. We plan to head up north soon to see for ourselves what the major issues and policies are.
"At a recent city council meeting, Councilman Joe Sack expressed concern about Rye's "skateboard problem" cause by the popular long boards. What do you think? Leave a comment below."
Friday, August 12, 2011
SkateBoard Commuters Speak Up
If you use a skateboard to get around please write us and let us know you're skateboard commuter story and what you would like to see this organization advocate for. In the near future we will explain and define our public position with greater definition and with whom we will attempt to partner with as well as advocate to.
We know the skateboard community is commuting by the millions. Some of these commutes are going under the radar of most transportation alternative advocate organizations to the extent that some don't even consider the skateboard a vehicle. The skateboard is so effective at short distances that no one really pays that much attention. Part of it's efficacy is how fast the mode of transportation enters in and out of the traffic flow. Your commute may be as short as a half mile to the skateboard park. This is no less a commute then a 50 mile car commute. You are a human being needing to get to where you need to go as much as any other vehicle and tax payer. You are on the traffic grid and a mountain load of traffic issues are at play there.
We want to advocate so as to make even that .5 miles commute in everyone's community becomes more relaxing, safer and most of all blend in better with the rest of the existing traffic flow.
The futire is all about allowing human powered vehicles more and safer acces into all the peoples consciousness so they might make "true choice" alternative transportation happen every where.
We know the skateboard community is commuting by the millions. Some of these commutes are going under the radar of most transportation alternative advocate organizations to the extent that some don't even consider the skateboard a vehicle. The skateboard is so effective at short distances that no one really pays that much attention. Part of it's efficacy is how fast the mode of transportation enters in and out of the traffic flow. Your commute may be as short as a half mile to the skateboard park. This is no less a commute then a 50 mile car commute. You are a human being needing to get to where you need to go as much as any other vehicle and tax payer. You are on the traffic grid and a mountain load of traffic issues are at play there.
We want to advocate so as to make even that .5 miles commute in everyone's community becomes more relaxing, safer and most of all blend in better with the rest of the existing traffic flow.
The futire is all about allowing human powered vehicles more and safer acces into all the peoples consciousness so they might make "true choice" alternative transportation happen every where.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)