Great Lakes cities listed as bicycle friendly communities

By |

The League of the American Bicyclists announced this week the largest number of cities it has ever added to its list of Bicycle Friendly Communities. 

Several Great Lakes cities were upgraded or added to the list for the first time.  The annual evaluation recognizes investment in bicycling promotion, education, infrastructure and. Regional cities on this year’s list:

 Minnesota

Minneapolis (gold)
Greater Mankato (bronze)- First time

Wisconsin

Madison (gold)
La Cross (silver)
Milwaukee (bronze

 

Michigan,

Ann Arbor (silver)
Grand Rapids (bronze)
Lansing (bronze)
Traverse City (bronze)

Indiana,

Bloomington  (silver)
Indianapolis and Monroe County (silver)
Columbus (bronze)- First time
Fort Wayne (bronze) — First time

Illinois,

Chicago (silver)
Schaumburg (bronze)
Naperville (bronze)

Ohio,

Cincinnati (bronze) — First time

New York,

New York City (silver)

Pennsylvania,

Philadelphia (bronze)
State College-Center Region (bronze)- First time
Franklin (bronze)
Pittsburg (bronze)

And here is how the league ranks the Great Lakes states in terms of bicycle friendliness:

Wisconsin (3)
Minnesota  (4)
Illinois (11)
Indiana (19)
Michigan (22)
Pennsylvania (25)
New York (34)
Ohio (37)

The entire state rankings are here.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Echo

What is the best beer brewed with Great Lakes water?

By |

 

Outside Magazine recently released a list of the top 10 canned beers of 2012. The magazine claims these as the best of 100 brands sampled. Apparently they were sampled at once and by very few judges. How else to explain the impaired judgment resulting in a selection containing only two  beers brewed in Great Lakes states:  Sly Fox Pikeland Pils from Pottstown, Pa., and Sixpoint Resin Ale in Brooklyn, N.Y.

And those two aren’t even in the Great Lakes watershed. Sorry Outside.

Echo

Another college bans bottled water sales

By |

Chicago’s Loyola University became the latest university in the region to ban campus bottled water sales, the Chicago Sun Times recently reported. The paper said that a student group notes: “We consider the sale of bottled water on campus in conflict with the Jesuit tradition and Loyola’s mission ‘to be in service of humanity through learning, justice and faith.”

Great Lakes Echo recently wrote how campus bottled water bans – and the establishment of water bottle filling stations – appear to be increasing regionally and nationally. At the same time, bottled water manufacturers are pushing back, noting that bans restrict the freedom to choose an alternative to less healthy drinks that continue to be sold on campuses.

Echo

Photo Friday: Super mooning the Great Lakes

By |

Miss the super moon last Saturday? You know, that’s when the moon appeared 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than other full moons this year. That’s when it’s orbit brought it closest to Earth at about the same time it appeared its fullest. Super moons appear about once a year, according to NASA. This one got a lot of play on YouTube.

Echo

Push on to pump up physical education in Michigan schools

By |

A recent federal study echoes concerns by Michigan health professionals that link the lack of time set aside for physical and health education classes in K-8 schools to increasing childhood obesity.

The Government Accountability Office study of public schools indicates that while sports opportunities for students have generally increased, the frequency of physical education classes has decreased.