the “soot in your lungs while
cycling” stories from last week.
(Photo © J. Maus)
Here are the news stories that caught my eye this past week…
— In recent weeks we’ve been told by the media that riding a bike covers your lungs in soot and that people on bikes are a menace to those walking near them. Well, turns out the news isn’t as bad as you think. The “Numbers Guy” at the Wall Street Journal adds some valuable context to those stories.
— Some very solid increases in bicycling reported in Vancouver, B.C.. The reason? It likely has a lot to do with their new, physically separated bikeways.
— With numbers like that, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel seems to be on the right side of history with his “big push” for 100 new miles of separated bikeways.
— Who says bike trains are just for kids? Check out the Aire Valley Bike Bus.
— Here’s a scary thought: An article in the Montreal Gazzette says that iPads and similar devices are like the “Bicycle of the 21st century” for the current generation of “wired” kids. Let’s hope not.
— This happened back in July, but figured it might be of interest: A Virginia Beach man turned himself in and was charged with 33 counts of misdemeanor destruction of property for throwing thumbtack on the roads in hopes of flatting bicycle tires.
— Here’s something I’d love to see in Portland. In London — where “lorry” trucks account for a substantial percentage of bike-related traffic collisions — drivers now get mandatory “cyclist awareness” training.
— A lawyer from Los Angeles goes in-depth on that city’s newly passed “Cyclist Anti Harassment” ordinance.
— Three Miami police officers riding in a bike patrol where involved in a collision with a woman driving an SUV. Local advocates say they’ll be watching that case closely to see how the police handle this rare case that involves their fellow officers on bikes.
— Hugh Fergus from Hillsboro Oregon completed an 80-mile bike ride on his 80th birthday.
— Awesome. Now that congestion is considered a good economic indicator, does that mean we can stop pouring billions into wider highways?
— Head of the Cascade Policy Institute, John Charles, asks, “If you had $35 million to spend to improve three blocks of an urban street, how would you spend it?” His essay in Oregon Catalyst is worth a read.
— Seems like the global economic crisis is adding fuel to calls for higher speed limits. Both here in America and across the pond in England, officials are pushing forward on faster speeds, despite obvious environmental and safety concerns.
— Speaking of going fast, the urban fixed gear trend cannot be stopped. It has now taken over Paris. Is nowhere safe?!
— Up in Seattle, officials and activists are trying to mimic Portland’s success with neighborhood greenways. Two PBOT staffers, dubbed the “backstreet boys” for their expertise, recently gave a presentation to stoke that effort.
— And the latest sign that times are changing: “The Rise of Urban Biking” in The Nation.
Come across interesting articles? Drop me a line and I’ll put them in the Roundup next week!