Here’s the news that caught our eye last week…
– Gabrielle Giffords, the U.S. Congresswoman who was the target of a mass shooting over the weekend, is no stranger to bicycle transportation issues. She and her husband ride regularly, and she has worked at a state and federal level to pass bicycle safety laws. Read an interview with Rep. Giffords that appeared on Tucson Velo last fall and read more about her from the League of American Bicyclists.
– Do roads pay for themselves, via user fees? Nope.
– In Baltimore, a study has found that, per dollar spent, building bicycle infrastructure creates twice as many jobs as building roads.
– When it comes to bikes, we all know that the traffic law is, to put it kindly, a work in progress. So what rules should we follow when riding? Here’s one proposal.
– A list of ways for transportation professionals to handle the politicized backlash against bicycling is also useful reading for citizens and advocates.
– The economy may still be down, but there may be hope in the bike industry–as evidenced by this Portland wheel builder who is expanding her business.
– A Montana woman became “legendary” among hospital staff by carrying out her plan to ride her bicycle to the hospital when she went into labor.
– A new mom in the UK shares her research about when it’s safe to start bicycling with a newborn.
– New York City has a new cohort of bike lane and public space advocates: Tourists.
– The Economist takes a look at London’s year-old bikesharing system, and is critical of what it sees.
– In Ottawa, the capital of Canada, a group called the Responsible Cycling Coalition is vocally opposing the city’s plan to build a separated bike lane, saying that the free movement of cars and buses should be prioritized.
– Yet another bicycle-generated-energy invention would, in theory, harvest the wind that rushes past as your wheels spin.
– Eye candy of the week: A A bike sweater (and a car one to boot) and Photos of celebrities on bicycles.