Here are the best stories we came across last week.
Before we jump in, I want you to know that this week’s Monday Roundup is sponsored by Splendid Cycles, an excellent source for cargo bikes that will redefine how you travel.
DC’s dockless principles: Washington D.C. managed the first successful, large-scale bike share in the U.S., so it makes perfect sense that they are tackling the challenges of dockless systems head-on. Seems like New Seasons could give this a try!
Bike share 101: Bike share is changing fast. This post from CityLab is a great summary of where things stand. One big takeaway? We must use less road space for driving and give more space to bike share.
Groceries by bike: A major UK grocery store chain has returned to its delivery roots by employing a fleet of electric cargo bikes to distribute products to its customers.
Invisible cars: In the wake of mounting hysteria over dockless scooters, a writer for SF Gate has coined the term “car blindness” to describe the phenomenon of conveniently ignoring the physical and societal impacts of cars.
A cautious governor: In their endorsement of Kate Brown for Oregon Governor, the Willamette Week said she remains, “Too unwilling to challenge the preconceived notions of her base, and simply not bold enough for the challenges that we face.” That is certainly the case when it comes to her treatment of ODOT.
They give you wings: If you’re as fascinated with the dockless scooter wave as we are, don’t miss this NY Times profile of the man behind Bird. “Go back to the early 1900s, and people would have a similar reaction to cars because they were used to horses,” he said. “They had to figure out where to park all the dockless cars.”
Tide turning on cars?: Feels like there’s a lot of momentum lately for the idea that cars and cities just don’t mix. This epic takedown in the NY Times op-ed pages is a case in point.
“Vehicular terrorism”: When you combine the abuse of driving privilege with transportation infrastructure networks that provide little to not protection for people who aren’t driving — it’s no surprise people use their cars as weapons.
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A federal “no drive list”?: A New Jersey lawmaker has introduced an anti-terrorism bill that would increase regulation so that suspected terrorists would be barred from renting vans and trucks.
Deaths spike in Los Angeles: An unnerving increase in fatal traffic crashes involving bicycle riders in LA is adding urgency to debates over road diets.
Air quality app: Developers have created a novel way to give context to urban air pollution levels: The “S***! I Smoke” app takes particulate matter data and creates an equivalent represented as a number of cigarettes. (Spoiler alert: In Portland, it’s 0.9 cigarettes per day.)
Road to zero: Using a “safe systems” approach, the National Safety Council is leading the first national strategy to eliminate traffic deaths in the United States by the year 2050.
Then there were three: Colorado has become the third state (after Idaho and Delaware) to make a common sense update to traffic laws so that bicycle users can “slow and go” when they come to stop signs and red lights.
Doomed: A highly respected, UK-based social science researcher says bluntly that the planet is “doomed” because we won’t stop burning fossil fuels.
Montreal moving forward: Add this Canadian city to the list of places where elected officials are moving boldly ahead with street plans that dramatically reallocate space and reduce driving capacity.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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