Welcome to the week. Here are the most notable stories our writers and readers have come across in the past seven days…
**This week’s roundup is sponsored by The eBike Store, Portland’s original all-electric bike shop and the place for all things e-bike with brands like Tern, Specialized, Gazelle, and more..**
Expensive: Expect the freeway expansion industrial complex to tout the news that highway construction costs have ballooned 50% since December 2020 as yet another reason projects must be built ASAP. (Eno Center for Transportation)
Megacars: President Biden is bumbling his transportation and livability policies by paying Americans to buy heavy, dangerous, expensive “megacars” that will anchor us to terrible road safety and climate outcomes. (Streetsblog USA)
Central city diversion: City officials in Amsterdam understand that even a few cars in the central city muck things up so they are plotting to prohibit driving on some key through-routes. (Bloomberg)
Proximity (a.k.a. 15-minute city): The recent flap around “15-minute city” always seemed odd to me since we’ve talked its underlying principle of proximity since at least 2007. Either way, Doug Gordon offers this great summary of how it went sideways. (The New Republic)
Co-opting “complete streets”: Beware the DOT tactic of abusing terms to greenwash their projects. If cars dominate a street project, the project is incomplete because it effectively prohibits non-driving uses. (Smart Growth America)
Better buses, better cities: I can definitely relate to bus advocates who feel like their mode of transportation is too often overlooked as a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change. (Scientific American)
Blank check for freeway expansions: Economist and ODOT critic Joe Cortright has offered his breakdown of HB 2098 and he warns that it is full of vague terms that could saddle Oregon with debt for decades just to expand freeways. (City Observatory)
Figure this out: The square-wheeled bike is something you definitely have to see to believe. (Gizmodo)
Make plans now: I had no idea National Parks officials allowed bicycle riders to use many miles of roads in Yellowstone in a carfree environment before they are opened to the driving public. (Idaho Sun)
Biketown and bike counts: Don’t miss the OPB story on the Biketown expansion and the bike decline that featured little ol’ me being interviewed by local bike funnist (and new Weekend Edition host!) Lily Karabaic. (OPB)
Video of the Week: Was nice to see Portland Timbers put a star player on a bike for a promo, but it’s too bad it was just a promotional gimmick. (Would much rather see a Timber player rolling to a match on their own two wheels a la Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson.)
Thanks to everyone who shared links this week.