Love this example from the Green Lane Project of Safe City Biking from Sustainablog. Next will be convincing the powers that be in Burlington, Vermont that we need this….

I’m just a sucker for a big, bold idea — especially when it combines two priorities, cycling and reducing carbon emissions. So Sam Martin, if London doesn’t jump on this fast enough to suit you, please know there are folks in the USA eager to help you turn this concept into reality.

Punch a destination into re:route, a new app from eco-rewards company Recyclebank, and it will provide several options. You could walk to the subway, take it to your stop, pick up a bike from the bike share, and ride to your destination. You could get off the subway a stop early and walk. You could ride your own bike, or walk halfway and pick up a bike to get you the rest of the way there.

Photo via (cc) Flickr user Akuppa

Love this idea of offering an app and a ‘rewards’ incentive program for biking or walking around town. It’s a simple concept grounded in human nature — and it can work when others don’t.

I’m thinking Local Motion is a good candidate to bring the concept here to Burlington or the Vermont Bike-Ped Coalition statewide. Now I’m off to get my colleagues on board.

It’s always bothered me that when my extended family gets together for a biking vacation we usually travel by plane, train or car to get to our destination — where we unload our bikes and ride for days. This is not to say we’d have enough time from work (or be in good enough shape) to bike the whole route, but there’s rarely an option in the US.

The approval of six new bicycle routes is a small sign of progress. Now it’s time to let your congressional delegation and state legislators know we need a lot more.