The Monday Roundup

Here are the stories of the past week we deem worthy of your attention…

— The comments made over the weekend by Washington State Representative Ed Orcutt (R-Kalama) have become a national news story. Orcutt is the high-ranking rep who believes that bicycling isn’t environmentally friendly because it causes people to breathe more heavily which results in increased C02 emissions.

— Did you know the co-founder of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) and former Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder is now blogging?

— The competitiveness of light rail — versus bicycling or driving — as a mode choice is a growing question in the planning field. A recent study shows that we should, “caution against expecting major long-term reductions in road congestion after the creation of a light rail system.”

— An interesting interview with “Boston Bike Czar” Nicole Freedman sheds light on how she helped take that city from worst to not-that-bad (and bike share has been a big part of it).

— Here’s a dream come true: Police officers in San Antonio, Texas are getting on bikes to do undercover enforcement actions against people who do not comply with that city’s safe passing law.

— This great Bikeface comic illustrates a cold weather riding phenomenon many of us can relate to.

— What’s the most important urban design decision Vancouver (BC) ever made? One planner says it’s their 1997 transportation plan which made a clear decision to prioritize active transportation.

— The big transportation funding scheme in Virginia that everyone is watching — that would raise the sales tax to help pay for new roads — is still moving forward; much to the chagrin of Streetsblog.

— Bike advocates in Minneapolis are organized and motivated for their effort to build a network of cycle tracks throughout the city via their “Bikeways for Everyone” campaign. (Hey Portland, our #1 bike friendly city claim is never safe!)

— A new study shows that the observed reduction in injuries in places that have mandatory helmet laws in place could be the result of fewer people bicycling due to the laws themselves.

— The great writer Constance Winters reviewed the Xtracycle Radish longtail in her new Bicycling Magazine column.

— Speaking of Bicycling Magazine, Portland’s very own Elly Blue is also blogging for them now. Check out the first post on her Everyday Rider blog.

— Yet another sign that young people are driving less and owning fewer cars than previous generations.

— If you love cargo bikes, you will love this amazing photoset put together by an Australian that chronicles the history of longtails.

— Family biking got a major nod this week when NPR did a story about exercise that featured none other than Portland bike shop co-owner Martina Fahrner and carfree mom-of-six Emily Finch.

— If you’re family-biking curious, check out this great post by Portlander Andy Schmidt about how his family made the transition to bicycling instead of driving.

— Unicycling is not a crime.

— Bicycling Magazine contributor Joe Lindsey is one of the smartest bike industry pundits in the business. His post about how the bike industry is like the beer industry is worth a read.

— It has finally happened; a technology company is making a “helmet of justice” with 360-degree cameras that promises to be a “black box” recorder or people who ride bikes.

— I’m not a rear-view mirror kind of guy; but they remain a popular safety accessory. Here’s a blog post in their defense by Mac McCoy.

— The reflective clothing debate rages on: In New Zealand a coroner wants to make hi-vis clothing compulsory for bicycle operators.

— The idea that owning a car is a money pit continues to gain ground. This time the Globe & Mail shares advice from an investor who says the “secret to big savings is to ditch your car.”

— And in case you missed it, The Sunday Oregonian included a feature story on ghost bikes.

Thanks for reading the Monday Roundup. If you come across an interesting bike story, drop us a line and we’ll consider including it next week.