Welcome to the week.
Before we get started, a special shout-out from our sponsor Cycle Oregon is warranted. Their new Gravel ride is coming October 5th-7th and it’s sure to be a fantastic weekend of fully-supported unpaved adventures on some of the best backroads in the region. I checked out one of the routes recently and can’t wait to share a recap!
And with that, here are the most noteworthy things we came across on the Internet in the past seven days…
Scooter advocacy: The Willamette Week devoted an entire issue to Portland’s scooter revolution that included an article on how many bicycling and transportation reform advocates consider them an ally in shifting the status quo on our streets.
Real speed enforcement: While local media and PBOT wring their hands about scooter speeds, a police chief in the UK is doing something worthwhile: He wants a £100 fine levied against anyone who drives one mile over the speed limit.
“Bike lanes” no more?: The rise of scooters spurred transit consultant Jarrett Walker and Portland transportation activist Sarah Iannarone to consider renaming “bike lanes” to be more inclusive and descriptive.
Protection imperative: NYC activists are calling for a ring of protected lanes around Central Park after a woman was run over and killed by a truck driver after she tried to avoid a driver who was parked in the bike lane.
We told you so: Uber’s CEO has finally seen the light when it comes to personal transportation; telling a major international newspaper that, “It is very inefficient for a one-tonne hulk of metal to take one person 10 blocks.”
Why we run: In one study, nearly half of the people convicted of hit-and-runs said they did it out of sheer panic.
Bikes for the city: Venerable Treehugger blog author Lloyd Alter shared a useful breakdown of bicycle types and how each one fares as a “city bike”.
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E-demand: After doing something similar with scooters downtown a few weeks ago I can relate to this story in CityLab from a guy who searched for an e-assist Citibike. People love these things! We need to commit more resources to electric bike and scooter systems ASAP.
Tour winner, helmet loser: Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas accidentally stepped into the infamous helmet debate when he told an interviewer they should be mandatory for everyone.
Congestion pricing rules: Transportation policymakers and elected officials would be wise to heed this advice from The Economist on how to price driving trips.
Land-use and bike theft: An interesting study (from 2016) looked how land-use and environmental factors influences the rate of bike theft in London.
Don’t say it never happens: A woman riding her bicycle in Aspen ran into a parked car and was charged with BUI. Police say she was texting, had a half-empty beer can in her bottle cage, and failed a sobriety test.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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