The Monday Roundup: Bike lane ROI, SUV insanity, emissions map, and more

This week’s roundup is sponsored by Portland-based personal injury law firm Forum Law Group.

Here are the most noteworthy items we came across in the past seven days…

Bike lane ROI: A new study published by BMJ found that spending a paltry $1,300 to add bike lanes to New York City streets has the public health equivalent of one more year of life at full health for every resident. That’s an insanely good ROI!

Latest on CRC 2.0: The Columbian checked in on the state of a new I-5 bridge over the Columbia River and reports that BRT might be part of a grand compromise.

Beyond cars: I’ve been overjoyed lately with how “ban cars” has shifted from activist fringe to mainstream. Case in point: This NY Times piece on the success of the 14th Street bus-only lane says banning private cars in Manhattan is “less inconceivable” these days.

SUV insanity: Germany is leading the way in calling for the end of dangerous, gas-guzzling SUVs.

We should copy this: The City of Amsterdam is using cheap and simple methods like one-ways, narrowing, and barriers to further restrict car use in its city center.

“Controversial”? Really?: Bike Snob offers some excellent perspective on the current state of bicycling in America and how, like the Internet in 1998, it has potential to be so much more.

Our “Stop Kindermoord” moment: Author Peter Norton takes a dive into a relatively unknown anti-car, traffic-safety movement in America in the 1950s. (Interesting to read this a few days after a 10-year-old boy was hit and killed by a truck driver while biking to school in Vancouver.)

What we see: The Oregonian’s Andrew Theen shared a bunch of interesting and worrisome things he’s come across on his daily bike commute — and the inner conflicts they stir in his mind.

Beyond two wheels: There’s no reason why cycling shouldn’t feel more open and accessible to people with disabilities. Here are some tips on how to do that.

Emissions map: NY Times published a detailed map of car and truck emissions for major American cities. Per person emissions are down 22% in Portland since 1980 and are up by 14% per person in Seattle by comparison.

Tweet of the Week: The BBC took a look at air quality on a typical school drop-off trip:

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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Features, Front Page, The Monday Roundup
The Monday Roundup