Here’s the bike news from around the world that caught our eyes this week:
Recumbent e-trike: George Cooper’s school project is clean, accessible and looks like an X-Wing fighter.
Three cheers for Hobocop: Next time you’re in Edmonton, look for a guy on the side of the street with a handwritten cardboard sign that says “Hello, I am a police officer, if you are on your cellphone right now, you are about to get a ticket.”
Sidewalk superhero: “‘Are you Peatónito?’ asked a little girl. ‘I am he.'” A man in a Mexican wrestling mask who calls himself “Little Pedestrian” is defending Mexico City by pushing cars out of crosswalks and hoisting motorcycles off sidewalks.
The cop’s guide to bikes: A retired officer from Coon Rapids, Minn., writes in Law and Order Magazine about how police should think about bikes. The No. 1 traffic violation to ticket people on bikes for, he says: riding against traffic.
No building is safe: Over four years, one in five 7-Eleven storefronts was damaged after cars crashed into them, usually by people who hit the wrong pedal. It’s a huge problem, and the Storefront Safety Council is here to help.
Silent majority? If you’re a city councilperson and only 70 percent of the crowd who showed up to your hearing is against your idea, you’ve probably got most of the city behind you, estimates bike-walk advocate and former Vancouver BC councilman Gordon Price.
Serial killer: Philadelphia mom Samara Banks, 28, and her three young sons were killed crossing the 12-lane highway that runs through their neighborhood after she decided not to call a taxi for a one-mile trip home, as she often does.
“25 mph”: The speed limit on this massive Washington DC neighborhood street would be a joke if the street weren’t lethal.
Just trust us: Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) must be a pretty big believer in the government’s ability to make smart choices on instinct, because he wants to waive environmental review of highway megaprojects.
I-84 widening: The other end of our local interstate, in Connecticut, is being widened — for $167 million per mile.
Sprawl and the poverty cycle: A new study shows sprawling cities like Atlanta are far worse at helping poor children get richer than dense ones like San Francisco. Portland’s in the middle of the pack.
Power injury: Seattle city councilman Richard Conlin, 65, was hurt by a collision last week while biking to a Democratic Party picnic.
E-bikes boost the case for safety: For people under age 60, e-bikes seem to be safer to use per mile traveled than other bikes. But by broadening the biking population, eBikes are also bringing older and statistically more vulnerable folks into bike lanes.
Alta’s equipment, reviewed: The Bay Area’s LadyFleur looks closely the bikeshare vehicles on their way to her area and, eventually, ours.
Colleges and bikesharing: Why does Columbus already have a bikesharing program? Because bikesharing fits perfectly into college life, and Ohio State has 56,000 students.
Bikesharing late fees: At an average of $2 per trip for each daypass user in Chicago, they’re a key part of a system’s profitability, Divvy Bike data shows.
Bikes and community: “A bike lane is another way to make a neighborhood feel like a neighborhood.”
Parking to patios: Toronto just turned a bunch of commercial auto parking into nice-looking public benches.
Low-car L.A.: Last week we reported that low-car households accounted for an estimated 60 percent of Portland’s growth since 2005. In Los Angeles, the figure is 90 percent.
The amazing costs of commuting: The next time you or anyone you care about says they can’t afford to live near work, thinking about the five statistics in this video might put things in perspective.
Bike tourism: “The most obvious and natural thing to do in Portland is ride a bike,” writes AM New York in a travel article about how Portland has “something for everyone.” Yep.
Bubble wrap bike: Nothing is more likely to become your video of the week than an idea whose time has come:
