The bad news is that Jordan’s Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) was suspended last year amid concerns about the associated cost and feasibility. Although the multimillion dollar project would have considerably reduced traffic and smog in capital Amman, details of the system conceived by the Greater Amman Municipality in 2009 are still being ironed out. […]
Math helps us understand how people flow, and just maybe it could help Hajj pilgrims stay safe. A Californian jogs to the beach. Coming towards him on the sidewalk is a Texan. Unless one steps aside they’ll collide. Quick: which way does the jogger move? If this is in Europe or the USA, heavy odds he […]
Jerusalem’s light rail may have been up and running for months already, but some residents believe that cycling is still the best way to get around. In the fall of 2011, Jerusalem finally got its much anticipated light rail (after years of construction). The light rail was intended to offer a comfortable and eco-friendly means […]
Jerusalem’s light rail may be a great way to encourage the use of public transportation, but why doesn’t it allow bikes on board? Four months ago the much anticipated Jerusalem light rail was launched after years of construction. (The future of the Tel Aviv light rail has yet to be seen.) The new light rail […]
Are you lyrical about your two-wheeler? If so, contribute to a literature project on the humble bike It seems that the majority of people serenading the magic and innocence of cycling are American and European males. In a bid to change this, professors Elamar Schenkel, Alon Raab and Jinhua Li are asking writers from the […]
Is bike-sharing gaining momentum in the Middle East? Paris got many cities to start thinking seriously about bike-sharing systems when it launched Vélib in 2007 – a municipal bike-sharing network that has been widely successful and grown to include over 20,000 bicycles at 1,200 stations. Cities worldwide have begun adopting the idea, but it is […]
Step in for this wonderful list of 12 easy ways to green your 2012. image via maliny The folks over at Nourishing the Planet have come up with a stellar list of simple steps that every person can take to green their lives. Although it is written with an American audience in mind, each of […]
Ronen Spector has designed a bike lock so integral to the bike’s actual structure that ruining the lock would ruin the bike. With so many cool bicycle designs out there though, you may still want to sport a rocking bike without worrying about theft. Ronen Spector, a recent industrial design graduate from Shenkar in Israel, […]
During this month’s ‘Critical Mass’ in Jerusalem, cyclists will check out the city’s new bike paths. Maybe it’s because Israel is becoming a nation of pedalers, or because biking is a hot form of eco-tourism, but for whatever reason a group of Jerusalem cyclists has been getting together for a monthly Critical Mass. (And no, […]
Could a bike sharing system work in Beirut? Bicycle sharing has become all the rage in certain cities in the past few years, ever since the Parisians got the trend going with the Vélib’ shared bike rental system approximately three years ago. In the Middle East, Nicosia implemented a bike sharing system a few weeks […]
Bike sharing sounds like progress, but not if the plan only supports leisurely (and not commuting) cycling and without proper biking lanes. It was only a couple weeks ago that a Cypriot law proposal threatened to fine cyclists for riding on sidewalks (among other things out of the cyclists’ control due to lack of proper […]
A new law in the works in Cyprus may deter cycling (and therefore promote more carbon-emitting forms of transportation). We’ve heard some pretty crazy stories coming out of Cyprus lately (such as some Cypriots’ appetite for pickled migrating songbirds), but this may be just as shocking: a new Cypriot law proposal wishes to fine and […]
Israeli bikers are hoping that the new year brings them greater cycling convenience and safety. The Israel Bike Association isn’t a quiet or a shy bunch – they make their opinions about the importance of urban cycling known through naked protests and the like. Which is why it is not surprising that they protested the […]
Eco-tourism holidays in Lebanon offer picturesque fishing villages and ancient remains British walking holidays specialist Ramblers Worldwide has added Lebanon to its list of destinations, according to a recent announcement. Ramblers Worldwide have long included Jordan, Morocco, Oman and other Middle East and North African destinations on their itineraries, although some scheduled trips to Egypt […]
HooHa Cyclists’ House in northern Israel gives traveling cyclists a bike-oriented place to stay. Eco tourism has been spreading all over the Middle East, with more and more professionals in the hospitality industry becoming aware of the demand for more sustainable travel. Generally eco touristic options involve sustainable facilities, seeing wildlife, or staying at accommodations […]