Search Results for: bike helmets

Introduction of Electric Scooter-Sharing to Chicago?

October 4, 2018 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Row of scooters parked In recent months, the city of Chicago has been introduced to the latest trend in mode of transportation: the electric scooter. As ride-hailing technology such as Uber and Lyft have become a staple for city-wide transportation, companies have been looking for the next biggest movement in transportation options.

After the success of Divvy bikes, a Chicago-owned program that has docking stations throughout the city, the next step in micro-mobility has brought us rented electric scooter programs designed solely for adults 18+. Users download an app that alerts them to the nearest scooters. A user may then ride these scooters for an initial fee of $1 and then 15 cents for each additional minute the scooter is used. Unlike Divvy bikes, which require the rider to find the nearest dock, these rental electric-scooters can be left anywhere that is convenient for the user, as the scooters will self-lock through the app at the end of the trip. With varying degrees of success in other cities, dockless scooter-sharing companies such as Lime and Bird have set their sights on Chicago. The initial test runs have been at several Chicago festivals this summer.

Although some are excited at the idea of a new affordable and environmentally-friendly mode of transportation that helps residents avoid the Chicago traffic, issues with roll-outs in other cities have kept officials wary and unwilling to move ahead with a wider test run without regulations set in place. This caution stems from other cities having to deal with backlash over the unregulated introduction of these rented electric scooters.

Many of the cities with electric-scooter programs have faced an influx of emergency room visits from residents who have been injured in electric-scooter accidents. The lack of rules makes it difficult for city officials and residents alike to navigate this unknown territory. In California, where the shared electric-scooters were first made popular, city officials have scrambled to catch up to the new fad, trying their best to implement rules such as the number of scooters allowed, where residents may use these scooters, and a requirement that all riders wear helmets. Critics point out that although the scooters look more like toys than a legitimate mode of transportation, they inflict the same amount of harm as any other motorized vehicle. These scooters are actually more dangerous because there are no safety regulations to comply with.

As Chicago city officials continue to work out regulations for scooter-sharing companies, it will be important for interested users to fully understand the risks at hand and necessary precautions they will have to take when choosing to use electric scooters.

Should cyclists consider facemasks to prevent injuries?

August 25, 2017 by Jay Stefani Leave a Comment

Recently during my evening commute home, I was distracted by a cyclist wearing a bicycle helmet outfitted with crossbars, like something akin to a college hockey mask. And it wasn’t the first time.

A theme keeps popping up downtown and on the 606, and it presents a question that I’ve often thought about prior to my encounter with Mr. Blackhawk: Should cyclists and helmet manufacturers start engineering the type of gear that’s normally reserved for professional athletes?

We know that the NFL is facing a litany of scrutiny for things like CTE and long term brain damage. And because of it, companies that manufacture helmets have come up with tons of designs to curtail the kind of debilitating head trauma seen in sports like football and even soccer. They do so by incorporating science-based research into nearly every piece of new equipment, down to the fibers of the plastic.

Recently, the Seattle-based manufacturing company Vicis, co-founded by neurosurgeon Sam Browd, unveiled the ZERO1, a pliable, impact-absorbing helmet shell that cushions against violent collisions. Per the company, the helmet is based on the principle that “layers work together to slow impact forces.” Of three major helmet manufacturers, Vicis topped the popular helmets produced by companies like Riddell. A report from CBS Sports also cited Inc.com, which reported that 25 NFL teams have purchased the ZERO1 for this coming season.

People will be quick to point out that a football helmet and a cycling helmet are different. But I would argue that cycling helmets have, for many riders, acted more like an ornament rather than a protective piece of equipment. They may be sleek but they could be even more effective.

I often wonder what might happen if cyclists took the helmet issues as seriously as organizations like the NFL. What if cyclists began outfitting their helmets with facemasks, or mouth guards, or skull caps with layer-incorporated shells, helping to absorb the shock waves of violent impact? Would it make a difference?

I would even go as far as to argue that something as simplistic as a facemask would go a long way to prevent damage to the face and mouth, no less impactful than, say, a hit to the crown of the head. At the very least, you’re saving your teeth.

I look at the people commuting to work on their bikes every day—some of whom don’t wear helmets at all—and I think about the inherent danger of winding through busy streets, vulnerable to fast cars. Professional athletes seem to know that they’re vulnerable; many have taken proactive steps to change that. Cyclists should do so too.

Chicago’s cycling initiative takes aim at South and West side

June 9, 2017 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Free lessons this summer highlight the city’s ride-sharing program

Since Mayor Rahm Emanuel took office in 2011, Chicago has installed 115 miles of protected bike lanes to pair with 300 miles of on-street bikeways and trails. The message from the mayor’s office seems clear: Chicago is a biking town, and it’s got more room to grow. That growth appears headed for the city’s South and West sides.

Between June 12-August 28, the Chicago Department of Transportation is offering free, two-hour bike riding classes for adults at the Center for Green Technology and Kennedy King College, part of an effort to highlight the Divvy ride-sharing program. Bicycling Ambassadors will provide instruction, and, in the words of the city, “encourage adults who have never ridden a bike or not ridden bikes recently to feel comfortable riding a bike on the city’s streets.”

The classes may be part of a broad marketing campaign in coordination with Divvy sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield (which will be giving out free helmets), but it’s an honest one that looks to correct one of it’s biggest criticisms. Divvy has expanded in recent years, completing its second major renovation in 2016 by adding 85 new bikes stations around town. Yet despite having at least 580 stations and 5,800 bikes total, according to information provided by the city, people like Bernard Lloyd, co-founder of Bronzeville Bikes, and community activist Dolores Lucas, believe that Divvy figures more prominently in places like Lakeview and Lincoln Park, whereas it’s mostly an afterthought in minority neighborhoods like Roseland, West Pullman and Riverdale, and Archer Heights.

Offering free classes on the South and West side isn’t going to fix the discrepancy overnight, but it does move the needle in the right direction. What’s more, it’s an opportunity for people to take advantage of a program that’s trending upward. In the long-term, that means at least two things: the city’s status as one of the best cycling cities in the country will remain intact, and perhaps, we’ll begin to see a residual effect as it pertains to safety.

Back in 2015, the Bicycle Advisory Council crafted a plan that aims to reduce the number of bicycling fatalities by 50 percent from where it stands now. To do that, part of the plan includes creating a cycling network, serving all residents and neighborhoods. In theory, that means more cyclists and more changes to the infrastructure of the city.

Divvy is the one of largest ride-sharing program in North America, and some 10 million trips have been taken since its launch in 2013. Hopefully, we’ll add more to that total soon.