Given that I’ve been working out of a suitcase for the past two weeks or so, I haven’t been filing away important and interesting bike stories at my usual rate. However, thanks to readers for sharing links and the wonders of Twitter and Google Alerts, I’ve managed to round up some stories I think you’ll find are worth your time…
— The London Cyclist blog has a fascinating breakdown of a report on lessons about traffic safety and visibility from a Royal Air Force pilot. The reports shares important insights into how our brains process visual stimuli, and why, “I just didn’t see him!” might be a legitimate excuse.
— Not sure if it was just a Halloween prank, but Portland State researcher Chris Monsere posted a photo of damage done by vandals to bicycle counters placed across the Springwater Corridor Trail.
— When Sandy hit New York, I decided to be a good citizen and stay inside; but after watching Casey Neistat’s amazing video footage of biking through flooded Lower Manhattan, I think maybe I should have headed out into it.
— How can transportation officials in the Netherlands be so far ahead of everyone else? They’re testing heated bike lanes, and by 2013, their highways will be glow-in-the-dark.
— The utility of bicycles never ceases to amaze me. A program in Bangladesh dubbed “The Info Ladies” brings the Internet to far-flung villages by bicycle.
— Here’s a new spin on the ongoing attempts to create a bicycle wheel that doesn’t get flats: The Energy Return Wheel would “eliminate the need for air, preventing punctures, tube replacement, and pressure checks.”
— Hoboken, New Jersey was hit extremely hard by Sandy, so it’s a good thing they’ve already laid the groundwork for being a bike-friendly community.
— Tragedy in Corvallis, Oregon as a 19-year-old Oregon State University student was killed while riding her bicycle on Saturday.
— In related news, the Salem Statesman-Journal reports that Oregon is on pace for yet another year of abnormally high fatalities to people on foot. There have been 48 deaths to people walking on Oregon roads so far this year; with the latest one being just this morning.
— On a more encouraging note, transportation reform seems to be a significant factor in the race for mayor of San Diego. Streetsblog reports that, “both major candidates fell all over themselves to prove that they would build the most bike lanes and bulb-outs.”
— Staff of the BBC’s bureau in Berlin say that city has made huge strides to being a place where people can safely and pleasantly ride a bike. Biking has taken such a hold in Berlin, the BBC reporters are thinking of buying a trailer to haul around their cameras and recording gear. Are reporters the new “indicator species” of bike-friendly cities?
— Speaking of journalists who ride bikes, this story of how UPS responded after a Huffington Post reporter tweeted about almost being hit by one of their trucks, is pretty amazing.
— What’s the latest on the Lance saga? I haven’t even tried (or cared really) to follow the drama; but this story caught my eye: “A 30ft (9m) model of the American… will go up in flames in Edenbridge.” Burning an effigy of Lance. Wow.