Welcome to the week.
Below are the most noteworthy items we came across in the past seven days.
High on Oslo: The Norwegian city that has already proven they can reach “vision zero” is actively pursuing a zero-emission future.
Latest LeMonds: Famous bike racer Greg LeMond has raised eyebrows by re-launching his namesake brand with urban-oriented, carbon fiber e-bikes.
It’s just good politics: A national poll conducted by the League of American Bicyclists found the number of Americans who believe the federal government should invest more in safe cycling infrastructure has risen to 60%.
Death-free streets: Washington D.C. Council passed a set of measures aimed at reducing road deaths to zero by 2024 that includes infrastructure investments, increased enforcement of traffic laws via red light cameras, and many other provisions.
Swapfiets growing: We continue to watch Netherlands-based Swapfiets grow and expand their service that offers long-term rentals as an alternative to the more common short-term bike share system model.
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Crisis exposure: Thanks to author and former Streetsblog writer Angie Schmitt’s new book Right of Way (Island Press, 2020), the national media is starting to pay a lot more attention to how the bulging size of new cars (and many other factors) have led to a “pedestrian safety crisis.”
EV dreams: “When you have a system in which structural failure is embedded, nothing short of structural change will significantly improve it,” says Guardian (UK) columnist George Monbiot about government promises to phase out internal combustion engines in favor of battery powered ones.
Newsom disagrees: The governor of California made national news by proclaiming he wants to rid the state of petrol-burning cars by 2035. For more context on the decision, read this quality Twitter thread by climate policy expert Dave Weiskopf.
‘Stand your ground’ law, but for cars: The horrifying trend of vehicular violence has made its way into legislation being proposed by the governor of Florida that would make it legal to run someone over with your car if you were “fleeing for safety from a mob”.
Year-long FAST: The recent spending bill passed by Congress included a re-authorization of the existing transportation bill called the FAST Act, which reformers bemoan as a giveaway to the highway industrial complex. Thankfully it will expire in just one year.
From plazas to promenade? Positive vibes are forming around making NW 13th in the Pearl District carfree thanks to inspiration from the on-street dining permit program from the City of Portland.
E-biking docs: British doctors and nurses are hopping on electric-assist bikes to zoom through traffic and make more home visits more quickly.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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