Here are the most notable stories we came across in the past week…

Fewer cars = more business: New research from London (once again) proves that businesses on streets with bikeways do better than those located on streets dominated by auto users.

Plazas for whom?: Public plazas are sought-after amenities, but cities that have them are struggling to manage the presence of homeless people who sleep in them and sometimes make others feel uncomfortable. (You can bet this is one reason why Portland hasn’t created more of them.)
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Here are the most notable stories we came across in the past seven days…
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Today’s Monday Roundup is sponsored by Greenfield Health who invites you to an Open House at their Lloyd clinic (700 NE Multnomah) this Wednesday November 7th.

Here are the most notable stories we came across in the past week…

Walmart-ville: In a fascinating turn of events, U.S. mega-retailer Walmart now wants to turn its massive parking lots into “town centers” — so they can re-create the vibe that used to exist before Walmart opened in the first place.

No helmet for me: A respected cycling writer explains why he no longer wears a helmet; but only after his editor is so worried about it being controversial he feels obligated to post a disclaimer at the top of the post.

GM in e-bike business: General Motors sees the writing on the wall and is placing a small bet on an electric, foldable electric bike. [Read more…]

Escape the madness — and find a merrier kind of madness in Bend this weekend.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

This week’s guide is sponsored by the annual Showers Pass Warehouse Sale, your chance to grab great deals on rain gear! It starts Saturday at 9:00 am.

Here’s our weekly list of suggested rides and events for bike-inclined folks of all types…

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Here are the most noteworthy items we came across in the last week…

Watch car culture work: An advertising regulatory body in the UK has banned several ads by carmakers — including Ford, Nissan, and Fiat Chrysler — because they encourage dangerous driving. ‘Bout time! If only we could challenge car culture this aggressively in the US.

Trans athlete support: A petition has emerged to document support for transgender cycling athletes following the post-World Championship backlash experienced by track racer Rachel McKinnon.

Right turn ban: As part of their Vision Zero efforts, D.C. transportation officials are considering making it illegal to turn right during a red light.
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Cascade Locks is one of the most beautiful stops on the Cyclocross Crusade calendar.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Welcome to the weekend!

While our stellar weather seems to have passed, we embrace yet another change in the season. And if you’re a cyclocross fan, this rain is what you’ve been waiting for.

Note: Some events cancel in the event of rain (always double-check event website before heading out), and this week we’ve shared two events happening Monday (10/29) just as a bonus because we like you so much.

Have fun!

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Here are the most noteworthy stories we came across in the past seven days…

Transgender champion: Rachel McKinnon won a national championship on the track. Some say it’s unfair because she’s transgender. Learn more about her in this Q & A posted by VeloNews.

E-cargo bikes are the future: New Forbes contributor (and veteran bike industry writer and author) Carlton Reid has an excellent update on how electric cargo bikes hold vast promise as urban, last-mile delivery vehicles.

Cars as a safe space: A recent survey from furniture giant IKEA found that almost half (45%) of Americans go outside and sit in their car “to have a private moment to themselves”.

Paris leads on carfree cities: A massive effort to get unnecessary cars and trucks out of the city is being taken on by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Here’s more on the potential of that vision and why the politics are so hard.

Ride-hailing = congestion: A study by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority found that Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft accounted for a whopping 50% of congestion in San Francisco between 2010 and 2016.

Inspiration from Calgary: Portland could learn a lot from Calgary where a carfree bridge laid the foundation for a successful, quick, and relatively cheap network of protected bike lanes.

Portland is a “smart city”: Bloomberg Philanthropies has awarded the City of Portland $2.5 million to fund “smart city” projects that fight congestion and climate change.

Vehicular terrorism: Citylab delves into the disturbing trend of using automobiles as weapons of mass destruction and offers examples of how to prevent the attacks without making walking and biking worse.

Teach the reach: The UK Highway Code plans to add more instruction to improve the safety of bicycle users — including the use of the “Dutch Reach” which requires using your far hand to open your car door to prevent “dooring.”

Scooter lawsuit: Three plaintiffs who claim to have been hit by scooter users while walking have filed a class-action lawsuit in Los Angeles against Lime, Bird, and other scooter companies for what they call “gross negligence”.

No lane is safe: The fact that someone sandwiched their sedan in a green-colored, physically protected bike lane is a great example of why we need more carfree spaces in cities.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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BikePortland needs your support.

Discover hidden history of Portland with Shawn Granton (on left, with megaphone) of Urban Adventure League and local historian Dan Haneckow.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Another gloriously sunny and colorful weekend is almost here. If you need some ideas for things to do, we’ve got a few tips.

And by the way folks, we’re between sponsors for the Weekend Event Guide and the BP Calendar right now. So if you own a business (and/or spend marketing money for one) and want to partner up with us, please get in touch. BikePortland relies on financial support from individuals and businesses, so don’t just be a reader, be a supporter!

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Here are the most notable stories we came across last week:

Silver bullet: You’ve probably heard that electeds and policymakers from Oregon and Washington are eager to replace the I-5 bridge; but did you know there are early-stage talks to build a bullet train between Portland and Vancouver, BC?

Transit subsidy: Seattle is the latest west coast city to pass a local mandate requiring certain companies to allow employees to use pre-tax wages to pay for transit. Why they heck doesn’t Portland do this?!
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Get out there and enjoy our fall splendor.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The weekend is near and we hope you have a chance to escape and enjoy the pleasures of a bicycle ride. If so, here are some suggestions of things to do… [Read more…]