Welcome to the week. Let’s make it a good one.
Below are the most notable stories I came across in the past seven days. Thanks to everyone who suggested links this week!
Clarence Eckerson gets his due: One of the O.G. cycling and urbanism documenters, Clarence Eckerson of Streetfilms, is at the twilight of an amazing career and this article is a great look at his vital and influential work of the past two decades. (Hellgate NYC – Give them your email to read the whole thing!)
He’s back: In a disgusting and unacceptable “F-you!” to our legal system, Oscar Burrell — the man who was arrested for dangerous driving last month — is back out on the streets recording his antics for social media. There’s another warrant out for his arrest and we can only hope they don’t let him off so easy this time. (The Oregonian)
Ode to ‘winter bikes’: I feel like Portland is still full of folks who love and respect their “winter bikes,” so I figured some of you might appreciate this piece that bids them a loving farewell. (Cycling News)
Hiding plates: Florida isn’t messing around. Lawmakers there are proposing a new approach that would make obscuring plates — something that entitled and freeloading drivers are doing in greater and greater numbers these days — a crime. (WKMG)
Terry and tariffs: Legendary women’s cycling apparel maker Terry is one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over their use of tariffs, which they say have made it even harder to make a profit. (AP)
Disreguarded: The Associated Press did a special report on the dangers faced by crossing guards, who are increasingly being hit by car drivers who are too selfish and distracted to care about anyone but themselves. (AP)
I’m jealous: Utah’s department of transportation has gone way beyond Oregon’s “scenic bikeway” approach and has published a statewide map of bike paths that are akin to a freeway network for cycling — and it’s already received a $45 million down payment. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Bike culture in Johannesburg: A riding club for young women who are new to cycling is just one sign that cycling in Jo’burg has gone beyond being the domain of the elite or a last resort of the poor. (Guardian)
Cycle to work, works: The UK’s “Cycle to Work scheme” gives employees a tax-free option of buying a bike, and it boosts about $750 million into the economy each year. (Bike Radar)
Have cars, ‘won’?: Yes, in many respects. But as you’ll see in this piece, the publication of a book like, ‘Life After Cars’ and others on shelves today, shows that the fight isn’t over. (Grist)
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.
Thanks for reading.
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Life with SUVs and recreational trucks.
With 92% of households in the US having cars there will likely never be a “life after cars”. Cars (vehicles) are here to stay in some form or another.
I’m all for making them more efficient, put more safety features in them, make drivers more accountable, etc. etc. etc.
But to think the US (or even the whole planet) will ever be without vehicles is laughable. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Not only that, but many bike riders are adopting motorized bikes. We’re truly entering a new golden age of motorized transportation.
There’s a difference between vehicles, writ large, and a system of private individual motor vehicle ownership. The former is definitely here to stay. Jury is still out on the latter.
Whose bubble is getting burst?
Soren didn’t say that life without vehicles is already here, so there’s no bubble to burst.
For those of us who already save money, improve our health, and build stronger community bonds through bicycle commuting, it seems clear that incentivizing bicycle commuting should be a policy priority. Great to read the Bike Radar article offering the numbers to back this up. Even if those numbers are in £ rather than $.
The USA used to do it, during the Clinton and Dubya administrations at least. When I worked for PBOT as a lowly technician and later as a transportation planner in ND, I was given a bonus for bicycling, which was paid for through the federal 1040 tax structure, but they eventually got rid of it through various tax reforms after BO was elected. it’s worth noting that Dubya biked (trail riding) and that Bill and BO did not.
I like hearing about plate/tag enforcement, just wish that was happening here. JM, you ought to do a follow up piece about parking enforcement here in town. In June of ’24 they made a big fuss about how parking enforcement was gonna go on the offensive, ticket for no plates and expired tags and all that, but it never materialized. I’d love to know why. Or at least hear their excuses for why anyways. I ride by cars that never move, plates from other states with years old tags, etc., and goddamn, it annoys the shit out of me.
A lot of that is complaint driven. Call it in that car that never moves, and eventually it may get a tow sticker, and then magically disappear.
Why does it have to be complaint driven? PBOT could just walk down about any street in Portland and write multiple tickets for expired tags, no plates etc.
I don’t have that much time in the day, Monty. I’m really tired of parking enforcement being complaint driven. We already have rules about when, where and how to park…we just choose to not enforce them until someone complains? Come on. In June of last year they made big announcements about how if you had expired tags, you’re getting ticketed. You don’t have plates, you might get towed. Etc. And then crickets. Nothing has changed. This is just like the summer before the big announcement about traffic enforcement coming back. Have you seen anyone pulled over lately? I have not. Parks this June (the city loves to announce an enforcement blitz in June it seems) will start enforcing dog leash laws in parks. Of course they will! Lol. I got bit by an off leash dog this year. It sucked. In August of ’24 I was hit in my neighborhood by a guy that cut across the street so he could park in front of his house while I was biking legally in my lane. Perhaps if we enforced parking and driving laws I wouldn’t have been hit because this guy would have said, “I can’t drive against traffic, that’s a rule!, and I can’t park facing the wrong way, I can get a ticket for that”. Similarly for the off leash dog bite incident. Portland doesn’t enforce shit and it shows. Not mad at you, Monty, just sick of the laissez faire attitude about enforcing any rule of any kind in this city.
It’s because those un-plated vehicles are usually associated with a demographic Portland doesn’t seem to want to upset.
“Hiding plates: Florida isn’t messing around. Lawmakers there are proposing a new approach that would make obscuring plates — something that entitled and freeloading drivers are doing in greater and greater numbers these days — a crime. (WKMG)”
So I guess there are some good things about living in a red state? 🙂
New York, Michigan and other NE states are cracking down on this as well, mostly for toll evasion.
I’m jealous: Utah’s department of transportation has gone way beyond Oregon’s “scenic bikeway” approach and has published a statewide map of bike paths that are akin to a freeway network for cycling — and it’s already received a $45 million down payment. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Wait, isn’t Utah a red state? So cycling can be bipartisan? Never would know that from most of the commenters on BP…..
This isn’t a red vs blue thing. Recreation makes up a huge part of Utah’s economy. Many mountain states are looking to diversify away from winter sports as snowpack becomes less reliable.
Most states have statewide bike route systems, very 1990s, even red states. NC & VA have marked routes statewide, but most aren’t very safe unless you are fearless or have a deathwish. It’s worth noting that “500 miles out of 3,100” or 16% of Utah’s is completed (much of it likely substandard painted bike lanes and/or gravel), and $45 million ain’t much really.
I will take your usual obvious bait.
Utah has world famous scenery, maybe the best skiing in the world, hosted for several years the tour of Utah, a world class cycling race. They routinely host Winter Olympics.
The people who live there are outdoors people, they get millions of outdoor tourists, Cycling is popular there.
They are conservative politically but politics has Nothing to do with the article except for Cult members.
What is your Boring point? How many times can you take a topic and turn it into RED/BLUE?
You Cult members are so dull and boring.
Cult members’? Settle down, BB — you’re ranting like you’ve just discovered heretics in the comment section. Pointing out irony isn’t a cult; it’s called paying attention. Utah’s is doing better than supposedly ‘progressive’ states… that’s the whole point. Maybe stop preaching from the pulpit and actually read the post before lighting the torches.
https://bikeleague.org/bfa/states/state-report-cards/
Since everything is Red/Blue to you, here the list of top cycling states.
The Top 5 are Blue states, Utah barely makes the list.
BB, you seem more into the red/blue stuff than anyone here. I’m just talking bike paths and lanes, not party lines. I want people of ALL political persuasions to enjoy and promote healthy activities such as cycling and other outdoor activities. Seriously if people dropped the disrespect and derisive division it can happen.
Are You kidding me?
You are a punchline on this forum.
You never stop bringing politics into every issue.
You ARE derisive division.
There was nothing political in the article on Utah and you tried to make it so.
Your sole purpose on posting here to trash talk the city in every comment and to bring up your Trumpian views. You obviously have no self awareness at all.
I think I saw this same comment nested 4 levels deep in the WW comment section.
Get some new material!
I don’t know why Jonathan is still allowing comments from this obvious troll.
you literally brought up red vs blue states in two different comments.
There’s a lot to like in the Utah plan.
–It’s not identified as a lefty or city folk project.
–While there’s not that much money in it yet, it authorizes revenue collection authority and essentially sets up a bank to handle and loan out construction funds.
–The goal is statewide connectivity on separated right of ways.
–The scope is ninety five percent of EVERYthing, iced with six National Parks*. This is genius, Utah is already a travel destination but if you can do the whole state on a bike it becomes a bucket list item for everyone one who rides.
–It recognizes the economic value of a bike network.
–There’s an initial strategy of linking existing routes.
–it’s not just about the easy projects, the aspiration is to put new organs into the carcase of the DOT, do some engineering, and build right of way that isn’t just an appendix to a motor road.
Oregon sure could go to school on this. Maybe if a Republican proposed it?
*Some National Parks are choked with cars and bike visitors have a much smaller foot print.
Oscar Burrell violating the terms of his sentence is about the least surprising news of the week. Can only hope the police are able to arrest him more expediently than last time and that his case is heard by a judge who has a reasonable grasp on reality.
Agree. Of course with an inadequately staffed police traffic and patrol divisions it’s unlikely he will be caught expeditiously. But if you see his blue pickup racing around might as well try to call 911. He’ll probably be long gone before police show up but it’s worth a try. You may safe a life,
https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/10/new-warrant-out-for-portland-man-who-posts-videos-of-himself-driving-dangerously-for-social-media-likes.html
He’s already in custody – apparently showed up at the courthouse.
The ‘death of winter bikes’ is a hilarious take. Winter bikes have mostly (by my understanding) been a stop gap to keep riding when the bike you WANT to ride is at greater risk.
What more modern bikes have done (with disc brakes, fully housed cables or electronic shifting, better bearings, etc.) has been to give people what they truly wanted in the first place: a usable 4 season bike.
If anything, being able to build a good enough all-weather bike has put a damper on summer-specific bikes as much as winter bikes. I have an old road bike I used to ride all the time, but the gravel bike I built up to survive winters became good enough to be my main ride in the summer too. Being able to set up a bike I like that can ride through the winter has reduced miles on all the bikes that came before.
I see this working in a shop too. All the bikes I’d consider summer-specific are pretty much extinct on the racks of new bikes. Selling bikes in the summer sees most, if not all, of my customers getting winter-tolerant bikes for summer riding. Then, switching them from summer configuration to winter configuration pretty much just involves fitting fenders, and maybe gravel tires to make the fall leaves less risky. A lot of people even leave their fenders on in the following summers and ride their bikes winter-mode all year.
I don’t think modern bikes have ended winter bikes. On the contrary, I think newer tech has allowed winter bikes to take over all the seasons’ riding.
great comment!
It’s not just the excessive torque that marks the Rivian ALSO as a bike meant for car commercials. Any street bike design that shows up without fenders is unserious.