Welcome to the week.
This week’s edition is sponsored by Freeya, a new app that makes getting rid of/finding free stuff easy and fun. Don’t miss their Freeyapalooza bike ride this Saturday, August 27th.
Here are the most notable stories our writers and readers came across in the past seven days…
Fewer carrots for cars: In this important opinion piece, the case is made that simply expanding rail and other non-car options is not enough if we continue to pour billions into freeways. (LA Times)
Too bad, so sad: Great news! Some car users in New York City are freaking out because they can’t find a place to park their cars. (Bloomberg)
Take away the keys: Given the terrible state of car culture and driver behavior these days, some folks think taking away licenses is an obvious way to address bad actors; but it’s not that simple. (Curbed)
What parents really fear: Speeding, distracted drivers and careless children are among the top safety concerns of elementary school parents according to a national poll. (School Transportation News)
Inequitable: Many people try to say cycling is elitist and they frame driving as a working class mode; but as the cost of owning a car continues to skyrocket, we’re headed toward a future where our driving-centric culture is a key driver of America’s inequity. (USA Today)
Good news and bad news: New research published in Nature shows that we literally save the world from climate change’s worst impacts and dramatically slash emissions if the billions of people who own bicycles start using them a lot more. The bad news is, we need to convince politicians and the public that it’s possible. (Wired)
Beware Big Tech: We simply cannot rely on the car-loving Silicon Valley to solve our transportation problems argues a new book by Paris Marx that examines the perils of the high-tech driving utopia. (Vox)
Lessons of history: Colin Stein has written what appears to be an exhaustive history of cycling activism in Vancouver, British Columbia from 1986 – 2011 that is chock full of lessons other cities can learn from. I’m ordering a copy! (Viewpoint Vancouver)
Colorado can, can we? Big news from Colorado where a regional transportation board (hi Metro!) has passed a new rule that would end planned freeway expansions and shift nearly $1 billion into climate-friendly transportation projects! (Colorado Public Radio)
Videos of the Week:
- The Insane Cost of Cars (TechAltar/YouTube)
- The Car-Replacement Bicycle (the bakfiets) (Not Just Bikes/YouTube)
Thanks to everyone who sent in links this week!