How’s Bike Month going for everyone? Have you noticed more bike traffic than usual? Have you encouraged a friend to join you?
I’ve come across three short films lately that I thought could serve as inspiration, validation and/or motivation to keep on pedaling.
The first is from Streetfilms, who brings us footage from San Francisco, where rumor has it that bikes accounted for 75% of all traffic on Market Street on Tuesday. Impressive number. Here’s the film…
Next we’ve got yet another innovation from the place that brought us the traffic garden and where they don’t mind a little snow — Utrecht. Here’s what rush hour looks like in that mythical place:
And finally, thanks to reader Eric S., I bring you cartoonist Mark Fiore’s Little Green Man. It’s an excellent satire on the state of our oil addiction and the simple solution we just can’t seem to fully grasp here in the U.S.A.:
Maybe if everyone started calling it lizard juice, people wouldn’t be so in love with it. Keep on riding.
Thanks for reading.
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Very cool little videos! The Utrecht traffic was very enlightening! Overwhelming *cough* use of helmets *cough* there. Wish we’d rock it like the Netherlands!
KEEP ON riding for sure! lizard juice. hahah.
And no spandex in site! This looks like heaven.
@ first video:
“It was a great ride, and I look forward to doing it again next year.”
One less car…on the one day each year that I ride my bike.
Really? Some of you watched these videos and your best comments/observations are “no spandex” and “no helmets”. How sad.
To answer your question, yes, there’s more bike traffic as is usual when the weather gets nicer. I’ve noticed many cyclists with a casual, laid-back manner giving the streets more of a town feeling than a big-city commute, and more smiles! Love it! I’m also seeing more older people on bikes as well as more people of color. Rock on!
Here is an interesting bike video also:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8fAuPdf0qc
Sorry, I don’t know how to hyperlink it.
First of all let me say that I really liked the films…Especially the second one. I did find it interesting that in the first video, neither of the SFBC members were wearing helmets while they were riding and talking. And, in the second, I didn’t see a single helmet. Regardless, if Portland could as many bikes as the Netherlands, including the infrastructure, that would be amazing. Keep up the good work.
I don’t want to cause trouble or anything, but oil does not come from lizards. It comes from deposits of phytoplankton and other photosynthetic organisms.