Here are the best stories we came across last week…
Uber horror story: This lawyer paints an unsettling picture of what happens when a person on a bicycle gets involved in a collision with an Uber driver.
Language drives culture: The “crash not accident” meme got some solid media coverage following the big Vision Zero vigil in New York City two weeks ago. Vox.com got into the history of automotive industry propaganda and does a great job explaining the power behind word choice.
Slate crashes: On the other hand, Slate isn’t so sure about it. No word yet whether they’ve reconsidered their policy after their article was eviscerated by BikeSnobNYC.
Who rides where matters: The Safe Routes to School National Partnership published a new report on the “intersection of active transportation and equity.”
True cost of “free”ways: First the State of Iowa admitted they need fewer roads, now an official from the state of Minnesota has apologized for how the construction of a major Interstate freeway demolished an entire neighborhood.
Artisan freeways: Given the links above, I think this Politico story that fawns over the “art of the interchange” and “seductive tangle” of mega-highways must have been secretly funded by highway builders.
Milwaukee’s highway addiction: Presidential candidate and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wants to burnish his conservative bona fides — but his addiction to spending money on mega-highways tells a much different story.
Asphalt is over: Speaking of roads, will future ones be made of recycled plastic? A company from The Netherlands hopes so. They’ve got an idea to make plastic roads as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and cut costs.
Adventure ride recap: Portlander Maria Schur shared her account of the Oregon Outback in her usually funny, positive, and inspiring way.
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Scofflaw study: Research from University of Colorado finds that, guess what, whether we’re in cars or on bikes we are all human! As such, we exhibit strikingly similar rates of non-compliance when it comes to traffic laws. But what’s more important is why we break them.
Bikes as “slow vehicles”: A fascinating bit of legislative wrangling in California about how bicycle riders are treated on rural roads.
Super-grandpa: Great to see the story of Gustaf Håkansson spread. A children’s book about this legendary man has been a staple in our house for many years.
Seattle’s family biking activist: You should get to know more about Davey Oil, the Seattle bike shop owner, family biking evangelist and activist. Profiled on The Bicycle Story, Mr. Oil shares important insights about the lack of radical activism in Seattle, racism in the bike movement, and more.
Bike theft down in Denmark: Rare and interesting look at bike theft problem in one of the most bike-friendly nations on earth. Advocates in Copenhagen say a 50 percent decline in stolen bikes could be a result of people buying better locks.
Hi-viz law spreads: It appears that, unfortunately, Oregon isn’t the only place where lawmakers think mandatory high-visibility clothing will improve safety for bicycle riders.
Bodies biking: A must-read from Selene Yeager on Bicycling.com about recent national coverage of elite athlete’s bodies. The moral of her story: Ride hard and be proud of of how your body looks.
Call it the money trail: One of the very few pieces of U.S. road infrastructure I am truly jealous of is the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. Now, with a study that found it is an unqualified economic development success story, I love it even more.
This story stinks: The headline says it all: “Pooping Cyclist Blamed for 73-Acre Idaho Wildfire”
Progressives killed SF? Citylab looks into how San Francisco got into such a housing mess. What they found is similar to Portland’s story — people who once fought for change, now fight to prevent it.
Driving bans are so hot right now (because so is our planet): Hundreds of cities will ban driving for one day during European Mobility Week this coming September. Oh how I wish Portland would be on this list.
Beautiful bike riding: This video of Brandon Semenuk would be cool any way it was shot — but the fact that it was filmed with one continuous take is simply amazing…
— If you come across a noteworthy story, send it in via email, Tweet @bikeportland, or whatever else and we’ll consider adding it to next Monday’s roundup.