Here’s are some of the stories and other interesting bits that caught my eye this past week…
— As people in Seattle who care about road safety continue to cope with a tragic spate of fatal bike collisions, one alt weekly responded with a compelling manifesto, OK Fine, It’s War. Here’s a snip:
“The mindless repetition of this “War on Cars” falsehood—by car advocates harboring a phony, self-serving sense of victimhood—has led to a situation in which this “War on Cars” is acknowledged by most Seattleites to be real. Because of this regrettable specter, it is high time that cyclists, pedestrians, and their transit-riding comrades openly publish their views, their aims, their tendencies, and meet this nursery tale of a “War on Cars” with a manifesto of and by the nondrivers themselves.”
— The New York Times says the war on the streets in Copenhagen is between people on bikes and people on foot (look for that column to stoke yet another anti-bike controversy in the Big Apple).
— Sick of getting wet when you ride or schlepping rain gear? Check out the nifty “Rainfish” invention from Hood River.
— In Minneapolis — the city that dethroned Portland as Bicycling Mag’s #1 Bike City — has got a little bike PR problem too. A full-time city bike coordinator position came under fire from a public who juxtaposed the hire against layoffs in the fire department.
— The “Regular people on regular bikes wearing regular clothes,” revolution has taken off in Fairhope, Alabama.
— Speaking of taking off, check out this spectacular crash during the Starcrossed cyclocross race up in Seattle over the weekend.
— Sightline reports that gas consumption in the Northwest has been stalled out since 1999.
— 52-year-old international bike racing legend Jeannie Longo is pedaling away from doping allegations.
— Not everyone in New York City is bullish on bicycling, New York Post columnist Steve Cuozzo is the latest to pen an angry screed at that city’s cycling progress. He frames spending on bicycling against spending on cops to keep kids safe on the streets (sounds familiar to the Portland Mercury’s “Blood in the bike lanes” messaging).
— After a man caught an assault on video, a Washington D.C. based advocacy group has launched anti-assault legislation that would, “create a civil right of action available to bicyclists suffering intentional assault, threat, harassment, or injury due to the bicyclist’s inherent vulnerable status vis-à-vis motor vehicles on the roadway…”
— Interbike, America’s largest bike show, wrapped up in Vegas last week and what did the local paper report on? E-bikes.
— With election season heating up, the SF Bicycle Coalition has released their list of preferred candidates. Here in Portland, the BTA’s organizational structure doesn’t allow them to weigh in on candidates, but fortunately a dormant group called Bike Walk Vote is ramping up. Stay tuned.
— Get ready for bicycling to hit theaters across America in a big way. Premium Rush is a new movie set for release early 2012 that stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a bike messenger in New York City. The buzz (which you’ll notice includes a Potland-specific reference) is already happening and the trailer is worth a watch…
— Fixies might be all-the-rage in American cities, but in China there’s news that regular everyday city bikes are (finally!) making a comeback.
— How did the police department of Milwaukee, Wisconsin react after four bike patrol officers were hit by someone operating a car in the span of just a few weeks? They’ll spend $10,000 on a new “LED safety light system” that will be mounted on all 87 bikes in the department.
— Author, businesswoman and former City of Portland bicycle coordinator Mia Birk wrote a solid piece in the Portland Tribune about why people on bikes break traffic laws and what to do about it. Now that’s how to frame/justify/make the case for bike-related spending and infrastructure improvements. I hope everyone at PBOT and City Hall take note.
— Speaking of things I wish we’d do here… The State of Massachusetts has asked all residents to participate in Car-Free Week, which is run out of an official initiative called GreenDOT.
— And finally today I share this amazing security cam video of a Cadillac that rammed through a bike shop in Mission Viejo California last week, narrowly missing several customers…
Come across interesting stories you’d like to see here on the Monday Roundup? Send them in.