Welcome to the week. Here are the most noteworthy items we came across in the past seven days…
Must-read: From oil wars and road deaths, climate change and racism; the New Yorker presents a compelling case for questioning our relationship with cars.
The price we pay: On a similar note as above, the Washington Post reports that since the year 2000 we’ve lost more people to fatal car crashes than we lost in both World Wars.
Get to work: Portland ranked 8th in a new report on how good the bike network connects people to their jobs.
Skin in the game: For years bicycle riders have been scolded for “not paying their fair share” of road taxes, now that same question is being asked of electric car users.
Climate action: Crosscut says if Seattle wants tackle the ravages of climate change city leaders must start with the number one polluter: the transportation sector.
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Where bikes are public transit: The Netherlands’ nationwide bike share system OV-Fiets doesn’t grab as many headlines as their legendary cycling mode share; but its success is arguably just as impressive.
The case against enforcement: Portland isn’t the only city in America that’s ambivalent about the role of law enforcement in Vision Zero efforts: Here’s why advocates in Minneapolis are against it.
How do they do that?: The Tour de France is one of the most grueling endeavors on the planet. VeloNews took a closer look at how the pros deal with crushing exhaustion and fatigue.
Bill “Vision Zero” De Blasio: Facing a mounting death toll and pressure from activists, New York City’s mayor and presidential candidate Bill De Blasio said it’s time for Vision Zero to go national. De Blasio also promised $58 million in road projects as part of a bike safety plan.
Tweet of the Week: This is the future of some Portland streets (and on others, replace the bus with bike riders):
A bird's eye view of a dedicated bus lane in action. We're moving nearly 70 buses an hour through the Flower Street bus lane each evening! pic.twitter.com/funsVVdX81
— LA Metro (@metrolosangeles) July 23, 2019
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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