Here are the most noteworthy stories that came across our desk last week…
Bunny-hopping the patriarchy: Cyclocross pro Ellen Noble’s rise as a voice for women’s equality cycling is just as impressive and important as her race results — many of which she earns while confidently bunny-hopping barriers.
Deep dive on biking’s gender gap: “In order for cycling to become a truly competitive mode of urban transit, we also need to address its issue of gender inequity,” says Eillie Anzilotti in this excellent longread from Fast Company.
Bikes are the best EVs: The NY Times correctly points out that e-bikes are a much more sensible cure for what ails America’s transportation system than e-cars.
Car culture kills: Car skeptic Lloyd Alter from Treehugger looks into a case where a driver admitted to being distracted, killed another person, and was still not held accountable for the death.
BRT in Albuquerque: A city in New Mexico has launched a modern and fast bus rapid transit (BRT) system before Portland. And — surprise, surprise — it was controversial but it works and people like it! Oh, and transit expert Jarrett Walker calls it a “breakthrough” for U.S. cities.
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Lessons for Naito from London: As we ponder a permanent “Better Naito” project this spring, tuck away this gem of a find from Michael Andersen that explains how one of London’s main protected bikeways moves people five times as efficiently as its adjacent auto lanes.
London making progress: With big increases in cycling due to its protected bikeway network, London’s Mayor is doubling-down on policies that make driving less convenient: “We need to be bolder in encouraging people to reduce their reliance on cars,” he says.
Safety goals are not enough: Sweden pioneered Vision Zero 20 years ago and now they’ve launched the “Moving Beyond Zero” campaign to promote biking and walking.
Always look eye? Not so much: The Bike Snob takes down the common traffic safety admonition to “make eye contact with drivers,” saying that it usually doesn’t work and relying on it can actually have tragic consequences.
We aren’t doing enough: Noted environmental scientist, author, and activist Bill McKibben writes for Rolling Stone about how incrementalism is failure when it comes to combating the imminent threat of climate change. The exact same thing holds true when it comes to transportation reform.
Curbs are the key: How cities are using curbzones is such a hot topic right now that it earned a feature story in Wired Magazine.
Bike share bubble burst?: Has supply of dockless bikes in China finally outstripped demand? These shocking images of “a bike share graveyard” seem to suggest so.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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