(Image: City of Vancouver, BC)
Welcome to an extra-robust roundup! We missed last week’s, so this one has the best of two weeks of great bike-related links from around the world.
Military conflict: The Canadian military says a new parking-protected bike lane in front of their Vancouver BC building is a “recipe for disaster” because a “flying” bicycle might hit one of their soldiers.
Teen driving: The Washington Post’s bicycle-fearing columnist is dismayed that kids these days prefer “texting friends and meeting up for a ‘group date’ on a Metro subway car” to “the freedom that comes with getting behind the wheel.” He thinks the answer should be bringing back driver’s ed.
Thief roped: “A man allegedly attempting to steal a bike in front of a Walmart in Southern Oregon was foiled by a man on a horse Friday morning when the mounted rider lassoed the would-be thief and kept him roped up until police arrived.”
Salmonberry Trail: Willamette Week’s longish read on Oregon’s future trail to the coast is worth your time.
Five-fatality collision: A man plowed his pickup truck into nine people biking together in Michigan, killing five of them. The preliminary charge is murder.
Transportation art: The Los Angeles DOT has hired an “artist in residence.” The plan so far seems sorta vague.
“Book bike”: A Los Angeles librarian is distributing children’s books in the community from a custom-built trike.
Waze vs. neighborhoods: The route-finding app can dramatically change traffic patterns on small streets.
E-bike boom: Bloomberg examines growth potential in a “wide open” retail category.
Sagan goes MTB: The world’s current champion road racer will switch to mountain biking for the Rio Olympics.
The roots of dirt: To celebrate MTB’s new Olympic event, Wired tells a short story of mountain biking’s origins as a “goofy hobby” in Marin County, Calif.
Skipping Olympics: U.S. cyclist Tejay van Garderen is the latest athelete to opt out of Rio because of the Zika virus.
Amazon couriers: The retailer abruptly scrapped its bike-based Amazone Prime Now bike delivery service.
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London bike lanes: Weeks after London installed perpendicular protected bike lanes through downtown, bicycles outnumber all other vehicles on the two streets.
Parking trouble: “A Vancouver man accused of trying to stab his roommate over a parking spot dispute” is in Washington courts.
Insurance milestone: The first policy for insuring self-driving cars is out.
Moped rules: Reflective vests and helmets for young moped riders will soon be mandatory in South Carolina.
Life sentence: A Houston man’s ninth conviction for driving drunk may put him in prison permanently.
Atlanta transformation: Its region has budgeted $1 billion for walking and biking improvements over the next 25 years.
Toronto biking: The city’s new plan would double its bike-lane network by 2026; one councilor said it would “change the way the city is perceived.”
“Sprawl tax”: As an alternative to the many congestion rankings that ask if cars are moving quickly, City Observatory created an alternative ranking cities based on the length of commutes. (Portland does well.)
Transit frequency: There’s a big difference between cities where many people live near transit and those where many people live near good transit.
Road redesign benefits: A four-lanes-to-three pilot project in Seattle cut traffic collisions by 15 percent and injuries by 31 percent.
Smart cities: The Washington Post has a fairly readable summary of each finalist city’s proposal in the federal transportation grant Portland is vying for.
NYC vs cars: The Guardian recounts the time NYC nearly banned private cars from lower Manhattan in midday.
Norway vs. oil: The world’s 14th largest oil-producing country is considering a ban on gasoline cars by 2025.
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.