[*Updated, 11:45am: I have heard back from Olympic National Park spokesperson Barb Maynes. Her comments are now included at the end of the article.] “This is an unnecessary exclusion of bicyclists on what is a federally funded road open to all other forms of traffic.”–Bicycle Alliance of Washington At the recent National Bike Summit, much … Read more
Local, regional, and national speakers, as well educational workshops, will be part of the event. An Oregon bike rack at last year’s Oregon Bike Summit.(Photo © J. Maus) Oregon’s dream to become the #1 bicycle destination in the country will move closer to reality when the Oregon Bike Summit comes to Portland in April. The … Read more
The streets of Washington DC, Chicago, and New York City will get better for bikes thanks to new laws. Riding on SW Broadway in downtown Portland.(Photos © J. Maus)
Chicago’s City Council has passed new laws that are intended to send a serious message to motorists about operating safely around bicycles. Mayor Richard Daley told the Chicago Tribune, “We are committed to making Chicago the most bicycle-friendly city in the country, and safety is a very critical part of the plan.”
A comparison of bikeway spending and resulting bike use shows that Portland is way behind in opening up its pocketbook to pedaling. Along with the rising profile of bike boxes, bike boulevards, bike trails, and bikes in general in Portland will come an increased scrutiny on how that infrastructure is paid for. Skeptics (or just … Read more
The Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP) have been maintaining and riding mountain bike trails in and around Portland for 20 years. PUMP members in their natural habitat.(Photos © J. Maus) Twenty years ago, at the cusp of the mountain biking boom, Portlander Theo Patterson spoke up to make sure knobby tires weren’t banned from Forest … Read more
(Photo sent in by a reader.) According to an article published last Sunday by the Associated Press, a group of Southern Baptist leaders have signed a declaration stating that, “current evidence of global warming is “substantial,” and that the threat is too grave to wait for perfect knowledge about whether, or how much, people contribute … Read more
Still from “Do the Test”.Watch video below There’s an interesting PSA spreading around the web like wildfire. The “Awareness Test” was created by Transport of London as part of their cycle safety campaign. Check it out at DoTheTest.co.uk (you can skip the intro), or watch the YouTube version below (thanks DanK!). I failed the test, … Read more
Stuart Jackson — a.k.a. Dread Pirate Roberts — leading the rideup Columbia Blvd.(Photos © J. Maus) A smiling group of cyclists that included several kids and families showed up at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver last night for the “Freedom Ride” to protest the recently passed all-ages helmet law. The ride was organized by … Read more
Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard modeling proper helmet behavior.(Photo © J. Maus) A twelve year-old Vancouver boy has organized a ride to protest the all-ages helmet law that was recently passed by the Vancouver City Council. The ordinance, which makes helmets mandatory for everyone on a variety of human powered vehicles, was passed by a 5-1 … Read more
Switching gears for a moment from my 2008 National Bike Summit coverage… Portland City Council will hear public testimony and vote today on a proposal that would leverage System Development Charges (SDCs) over the next 12 years. SDCs are one-time fees assessed on new development to cover a portion of the cost for providing specific … Read more
Cheesy tourist photo taken at last year’s Summit.(Photo © J. Maus) Once again, it’s that time of year when bike advocates from all over the country converge on our nation’s capitol for the National Bike Summit. I’ll be attending the event for the third year in a row. I leave on a red-eye tonight from … Read more