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Database Provider

Author

Vox

Grades

6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects

Science, Social Studies, Civics, Engineering

Resource Type

  • Videos, 4 minutes, 51 seconds, CC, Subtitles

Regional Focus

North America, United States, USA - Northeast, New York, New York City

Format

YouTube Video

Why Protected Bike Lanes Are More Valuable than Parking Spaces

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Synopsis
  • This video discusses a successful pilot program in New York City that installed a protected bike lane between the sidewalk and the parked cars along a busy street in Manhattan. 
  • This protected bike lane sacrificed some parking spots but provided a reduction in crashes, a bump in business activity, and better traffic flow-patterns. 
Teaching Tips

Positives

  • The video highlights the ability of individuals to make beneficial changes for their community.

Additional Prerequisites

  • There are ads before and during the video.
  • Students may benefit from seeing other large cities (many in Europe) that embrace larger sidewalks and bike lanes as well.

Differentiation

  • Social studies and science classes could use this video to discuss the many health and social benefits of having more walkable and bikeable cities, including a reduction in pollution from vehicle exhaust.
  • Engineering, math, and design classes could use this video to inspire a student project to design a bike path or bike lane in their community.
  • Other resources about this topic include this interactive map resource that details air pollution in London, this StC lesson plan, and this Grist video about walkable cities.
Scientist Notes
This resource is a 5-minute video that looks at the history of bike lanes, and in particular protected bike lanes, in New York City. The challenges with designing and getting support for introducing these bike lanes is first discussed, and then the benefits and possibilities of further expansion of bike lanes is presented. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
  • College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
    • Dimension 2: Civics
      • D2.Civ.13.6-8 Analyze the purposes, implementation, and consequences of public policies in multiple settings.
      • D2.Civ.12.9-12 Analyze how people use and challenge local, state, national, and international laws to address a variety of public issues.
    • Dimension 2: Geography
      • D2.Geo.8.6-8 Analyze how relationships between humans and environments extend or contract spatial patterns of settlement and movement.
    • Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action
      • D4.7.6-8 Assess their individual and collective capacities to take action to address local, regional, and global problems, taking into account a range of possible levers of power, strategies, and potential outcomes.
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