The Monday Roundup

Here’s the news that caught our eye this week:

– Tuesday, September 22nd is World Carfree Day. The Washington Post contemplates what that means.

– A new study has found that the largest US fossil fuel subsidies primarily benefit foreign countries.

– A borough in London will, for a trial period, allow people on bikes to ride both ways down one-way streets.

– One mayoral candidate in Seattle says he will try to bike to meetings as much as possible if elected (that means his security detail gets to ride, too).

– The police in a British town have pulled the plug on a program that donates unclaimed “lost property” bikes to a charity in Africa, due to concerns about being sued if someone gets hurt riding them. (via Copenhagenize)

– In Japan, the penalty for drunk bicycling is up to 5 years in prison.

– The Oregonian crunches ODOT’s crash statistics and finds a big problem when it comes to distracted driving and yielding to bicycles.

– Tom Vanderbilt (Traffic author) was in Portland two weeks ago and has blogged about our bike infrastructure, as well as the way we’re perceived in the rest of the country.

– In Iowa, a petition to ban bicycles from farm-to-city roads has inspired a counter-petition — to ban private cars from the same roads.

– More on Dubai’s new light rail, with a fascinating look at the city’s transportation dynamic.

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– David Byrne writes about his travels by bike in the Wall Street Journal.

– The New York Times profiles wealthy people who ride expensive bikes to work while wearing fancy, professional outfits.

– Bike-inspired fashion is set to hit the runway bigtime in 2010.

– A Japanese transit line experienced a significant bump in ridership after officials appointed a cat as stationmaster.

– An Austrian rap music video called “Fuss vom Gas” (Foot Off the Gas) features freak bikes of all stripes and — wait a minute — are those the Sprockettes?