Monday Roundup: Pedal-powered pickup, Paris tops Amsterdam, fixed gear racing, and more

Happy Monday everyone.

Here are the most notable stories that came across my desk in the past week…

Cycling that’s not boring: Promoters of ‘Formula Fixed’ — a new brand of bike racing with fixed gears, no brake levers, and courses in arenas similar to car racing — say their new creation will bring cycling to the mainstream sports world and spur a “cultural movement on wheels”. (Cycling News)

Vision Zero homework: Since it’s a big week for Vision Zero politically here in Portland, it’s a good time to revisit some of the policy and historical underpinnings of the concept. This is a solid overview from an unlikely source. (Asterisk Mag)

Cycleauto: A French company has created a modular cargo bike system that is more akin to pedal a pickup truck than a bicycle. (New Atlas)

Delay for cleaner trucks: The State of Oregon has decided to delay enforcement of a their Clean Truck Rule because of pressure from truck manufacturers. A lawmaker who owns a trucking company said the delay is “common sense.” (The Oregonian)

Toronto’s tricks: Ontario Premier Doug Ford has not let up on his efforts to remove bike lanes. Now the political debate is about forging some sort of compromise where bike lanes are removed on some major arterials, and added in other places. (The Star )🔒

Bikes and traffic: Major bikelash against bike lanes on a bridge in the Bay Area has included a high profile rally with a worker’s union that strongly opposes the bike lanes because they say they cause traffic backups. (San Francisco Chronicle) 🔒

What’s with the bus wraps?!: A transit advocacy group in Denver is trying to pass an ordinance that would ban agencies from covering their vehicles with advertisements, saying it blocks the view of passengers. (Greater Denver Transit)

Better than Amsterdam?: Paris continues its ascension as a top cycling city with a new report that says, based on several key metrics, that it’s a better city for cycling than Amsterdam. Damn! (The Guardian)

Speed enforcement: A new law passed in Washington will require drivers that have been found guilty for driving way too fast to install special devices in their cars that will limit their speed. (The Oregonian)

Washington wins on parking reform: Parking policy plays a major role in how we get around, and advocates say Washington has now passed some of the strongest rules to tame parking lots in the entire country. Here’s an excellent overview of how it happened. (Sightline)

Video of the Week: University of Washington students have created a handlebar-mounted sensor that logs close calls. (UW News)

Thanks to everyone who sent in links this week. The Monday Roundup is a community effort, so please feel free to send us any great stories you come across.