It can be hard to know whether or not the public has the legal right to ride a bike on paths like this one on Hayden Island.(Photos: Marcus Griffith) The sometimes complicated rules that govern public use of private pathways is at the heart of a recent incident between a group of people cycling and … Read more
With Oregon lawmakers set to get down to business in the coming weeks, it’s a good time to prepare for the upcoming debates by brushing up on the latest traffic safety data. The early edition of the 2009 Traffic Safety Facts is a 232 page compilation of national traffic collision data from the Fatality Analysis … Read more
This year, Washington State lawmakers will consider a new safe passing law. The bill, House Bill 1018 (PDF), is just one part of what’s been dubbed as the “Mutual Responsibility Bill.” It appears to have support from both sides of the aisle (in total, eight democrats and three republicans support it) and seems to stand … Read more
What happens in places that have a mandatory, all-ages helmet law on the books? Do injury rates decline? Does bike ridership go down? That’s the conventional wisdom; but is it true? Nearly three years after passing such an ordinance, the effect of Vancouver’s helmet law is difficult to ascertain. Our Vancouver correspondent Marcus Griffith took … Read more
New bike parking across from Esther Short Park.(Photos by Marcus Griffith Earlier this week, the City of Vancouver installed two more on-street bike parking corrals, raising the city’s total to three. The new racks were installed Tuesday morning at Esther Short Park and on the corner of Broadway and McLoughlin Blvd in downtown Vancouver. As … Read more
Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt.(File photo/2008 © J. Maus) Despite pressure from citizens, business owners (including the CEO of Burgerville), and advocacy groups from around the region and the country, last night the Vancouver City Council voted unanimously to pass their six-year Transportation Improvement Program plan with no dedicated funding for the Bike Program.
Filmmaker Meaghan Wilbur(Photo: Marcus Griffith) New York City independent film maker and bike enthusiast Meaghan Wilbur is in Portland and Vancouver this week filming interviews for her ghost bike documentary, a project she says is about “exploring the intersection of street art, activism, and mourning on the streets of cities around the world.” In an … Read more
Gerik Kransky (BTA) and Leah Jackson (Bike Me! Vancouver) at last night’s council meeting.(Photo: Marcus Griffith) Vancouver City Council heard testimony regarding the proposed elimination of Vancouver’s Bike Program from more than twenty bike advocates from both sides of the river during last night’s city council meeting. Although, the full public hearing and final vote … Read more
Comment of the Week: Legs of steel and the e-bike