“Evidence suggests that having more cyclists on the road decreases the proportion who are involved in accidents, so more people taking up cycling makes it safer. Introducing a measure which is guaranteed both to get more people on bikes and make sure drivers understand cycling is a no-brainer.”
— Tom Richards,
The Guardian
Here’s the news and other interesting stuff that caught our eyes this past week…
– Mayor Rahm Emanuel has renewed his promise to make Chicago the “bike friendliest city in the country” by installing hundreds of miles of new bike lanes including at least one lane with bicycle-specific traffic signals.
– Even if drivers’ tests include questions about laws pertaining to bicycles, a blogger for the Guardian newspaper in the UK thinks the best way to make people aware of bicycle traffic might be to include a mandatory cycling test as part of drivers’ licensing exams.
– The number of people walking who get killed in motor vehicle-related crashes is on the rise and both vehicle manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration think changes to vehicle design and advances in collision avoidance technology will help turn the tide.
– A report from Transportation Alternatives finds that most people who die while walking or riding a bike are killed by people who break the law while driving.
– It turns out there are a few bicycle components on Mars – sort of. A team from LiteSpeed Bicycles, based in Chattanooga, TN, worked with Jet Propulsion Lab engineers for a year to develop the framework and other components of NASA’s Curiosity rover.
– The New York Times‘ Jonathan Vaughters takes on a controversial issue and discusses how we might get doping out of sports.
– Jay Ruiz is helping protect late-night travelers in New York City with the Brooklyn Bike Patrol, a volunteer organization that will escort people home at night that’s gained attention and praise from news outlets, churches, the Brooklyn borough president, and even a New York senator.
– If you’re someone who learned to ride a bike later in life (or even if you’ve been riding since you were a kid) you’ll enjoy this rather entertaining story from the NY Times‘ transportation reporter Matt Flegenheimer on his recent experience learning to ride a bike as an adult in New York City.
– There are many great places to ride all across the United States and Bicycling has a list of the best bike ride in all 50 states. (You’ll have to read it yourself to find out Oregon’s, but I’ll give you a hint: it’s on the route for this year’s 25th-anniversary Cycle Oregon.)
– A man has died after his bicycle wheel got caught in an abandoned stretch of streetcar tracks in Toronto, Canada.
– Gold-medal-winning cyclist Joana Roswell discusses how riding a bike helped her find confidence as a teenager after growing up with alopecia.
– Bicycling takes a look at Los Angeles’ relatively new anti-harrassment law that’s already inspired other jurisdictions to better protect people on bikes.
– The intersection of bicycles and fashion has hit the mainstream in Vogue’s list of “pre-fall looks” that match stylish bicycles.
– Employees of the popular craft marketplace Etsy are taking recycling into their own hands by transporting over 600lbs of compostable waste to a local farm by cargo bike each month.
– There’s a fun look at Portland’s recent Cago Bike Roll Call from Seattle’s Davey Oil.
– And here’s a few photos of an odd sight: cruiser bicycles on display in a BMW showroom.
– A video from Portland’s Chris King Components highlights the beautiful scenery and delicious food of the Gourmet Century:
– And finally, Street Films found evidence of a ciclovia in Los Angeles way back in 1979:
— Did you find something interesting that should be in next week’s Monday Roundup? Drop us a line. For more great links from around the web, follow us on Twitter @BikePortland.