Here’s the news that caught our eyes this past week…
– Jack Becker, a former Imperial Oil engineer, is serving as chairman for Velo-City Global 2012. His background might seem contradictory to the goals of the conference but Becker has been working to make his home town of Calgary more bicycle friendly for years. He also sees bicycling as one part of a larger goal. Speaking with the Calgary Herald Becker said, “Cycling isn’t the goal…It’s one of the options for delivering livable, sustainable, active cities and urban centers.“
– Two former employees of Specialized Bicycle Components are facing a lawsuit from the company alleging they stole company secrets before leaving to form their own manufacturing company. The men insist that they came up with their design on their own and accuse Specialized of using the lawsuit to wipe out a competitor.
– Albuquerque, New Mexico residents are calling for tougher laws addressing distracted driving. Heather Reu, mother of four adopted children, was killed by the driver of a vehicle who was searching for their cell phone in 2009. Reu’s husband and the Duke City Wheelmen Foundation are pushing for the stricter laws in the hopes that other families won’t have to cope with similar tragedies.
– Ford is doubling the number of in-car applications available for its Sync entertainment system and other car manufacturers expect to follow suit. The new apps will allow people operating a motor vehicle to search for restaurants, receive special advertising, check the weather, and browse digital radio stations among a growing list of other functions.
– Nationally, women make up about one quarter of people on bikes. As this chart shows, that number isn’t consistent everywhere. Portland and Washington D.C. have ridership numbers split relatively evenly by gender where as places like New Orleans and Honolulu see far more male riders.
– Women have had a long relationship with the bicycle but it’s often one that men try to define and control. Looking at a list of don’ts for women on bikes in 1895 gives a sense of what female riders of the time had to contend with.
– People on motorcycles and bicycles in Illinois can ride through red lights (after coming to a complete stop) under a law which took effect at the start of the year. The law allows people on two wheels to pass through stop lights that aren’t sensitive enough to detect their presence. It only applies in cities with fewer than 2 million people, which excludes Chicago.
– Motor vehicle operators in New York City seem to assume they can legally drive through stop signs. One man in the East Bronx recently caught 41 drivers running a stop sign in only 25 minutes. He decided to make the film in response to police cracking down on minor offenses while ignoring people in motor vehicles speeding through residential areas.
– After a series of refinements to his daily commute, University of Washington staff member Bob Edmiston is commuting to work on a bike. In his own words Edmiston is “all about the data” and decided to start riding his bike after trying different modes of travel. His conclusion: bicycling cuts 20 minutes off each direction of his commute and eliminates all associated parking and fuel costs.
– Nevada residents are pleased with a 3-foot passing law which went into effect in October of last year. Although some feel that people in cars have started to give more room when passing, law enforcement officers are still unsure how to enforce the law in all situations.
– Similar legislation in Indiana would require vehicles to leave more room when passing bicycles. The bill under consideration also redefines a “bicycle” as a vehicle with two or more wheels, meaning unicycles won’t enjoy the same protection as other pedal-powered vehicles.
– Police officers in Merrimac, Massachusetts purchased two new mountain bikes after a local bank donated funds to update their bike patrol unit. Officers are thankful for the new equipment which, “allows [them] to interact with the public on a lot more personal level.”
– The bike share program in Tel Aviv, Israel is more popular than originally projected but it isn’t without its flaws. Broken pedals, malfunctioning kiosks, and other issues have moved one man to document all the problems he finds online. He is using his blog as an alternative to reporting issues through the bike share program’s hotline which charges a fee for calls.
– People in Spartanburg, South Carolina have also been enjoying a bike share system since July of 2011. Since its installation, users of the rented bicycles have ridden over 9,000 miles. Use of the system is growing and new bike stations are planned for the future.
– One woman in San Diego, California is facing intense criticism after posting two strongly worded rants against vehicular cycling proponents in her city. She feels that the practice of vehicular cycling, or riding your bicycle on the road as if you were a motor vehicle, will never fully address safety issues in San Diego.
– Southern California is deeply associated with America’s car culture but bicycling advocates in Los Angeles have been busy. Check out all they’ve accomplished in 2011 in L.A. County.
– James Clayton, a notorious bicycle thief in Austin, Texas, has passed away from issues related to a heart condition. After serving time for his crimes in Austin, Clayton moved to Phoenix where he worked in a bike shop.
– Bicycle philosopher Steven Fleming (who Jonathan interviewed back in May) takes a self-important look at the links between bicycle racing and riding for transportation and concludes that we should all take “pride in everyday chores – like transporting the kids.”
– And if you need something to give you a kick this Monday morning, check out a young Frank Zappa playing a bicycle on the Steve Allen show:
Did you find something interesting that should be in next week’s Monday Roundup? Drop us a line.