Transportation
Issues involving safe streets, slow streets, bicycle safety, bicycle commuting
By Paul Andrews, BI editor on December 20, 2009
Bike commuting is up in Seattle but curiously down in Portland. A September count showed a 15 percent increase in downtown Seattle bike traffic in 2009 compared with 2007. An unofficial report in Portland showed a decline of 6 percent in 2009 versus 2008. But there’s more. Helmet use was up in Seattle, down in [...]
Posted in Advocacy, Transportation | Tagged BikePortland.org, portland bicycling, seattle bicycling, Transportation
By Paul Andrews, BI editor on December 18, 2009
Several people have breathlessly alerted me to the big announcement at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the MIT “Copenhagen Wheel” — a rear wheel with hub-enclosed technology that not only boosts a cyclist with a “burst of power” on demand but contains a number of “smart bike” features, including anti-theft “braking” and email [...]
Posted in Advocacy, Obama Bikes, Transportation | Tagged copenhagen wheel, electric bike, mike mcginn, seattle mayor, segway
By Paul Andrews, BI editor on December 7, 2009
Bicycle Retailer: So far bike vendors are saying it’s not as bad as last Christmas. You could knock me over with a feather, or even a double-butted spoke. S.F.StreetsBlog: When bikes ride in car lanes, it’s get that damn bike outta my way! When cars drive in bike lanes, it’s get that damn bike outta [...]
Posted in Advocacy, Culture, News Cycle, Obama Bikes, Transportation | Tagged california state parks mountain biking, san francisco bike lanes, steevo and amy, tom stienstra
By Paul Andrews, BI editor on December 6, 2009
One pressing motivation behind Seattle-based Cascade Bicycle Club’s campaign to pass “vulnerable user” legislation seeking justice for cyclists injured or killed in car accidents is to force law-enforcement agencies to take bicycles seriously. No one who has been involved in a police-reported accident doubts the entrenched bias against cyclists. The attitude can generally be summed [...]
Posted in Advocacy, Culture, Obama Bikes, Transportation | Tagged cascade bicycle club, cycling justice, San Francisco anti-cyclist bias, vulnerable user law
By Paul Andrews, BI editor on December 1, 2009
SEATTLE — After last night’s Town Hall meeting, I asked Mike McGinn if he was going to ride the horse what got him there — his electric bike — once he took office January 1st. “Definitely!” he boomed out. He might not get to ride everywhere, he noted, but he would be riding everywhere practical [...]
Posted in Advocacy, Obama Bikes, Transportation | Tagged cycling advocacy, seattle mayor mike mcginn
By Paul Andrews, BI editor on November 11, 2009
Amusing piece from MadConomist.com on how to make money from bicycling. The furniture thing is truly inspired. More on the nation’s bike-commuting boom: New York. San Jose (Cyclelicio.us has a rundown on some others…) Seattle’s increases — up 27 percent from 2005 to 2008 and 29 percent from 2008 to 2009 — aren’t among the [...]
Posted in Mountain Biking, News Cycle, Transportation | Tagged bicycle boom, bicycle furniture, electronic gear shifting, unicycle
By Paul Andrews, BI editor on November 11, 2009
With the election of Mike McGinn as mayor of Seattle and re-election of Council president Richard Conlin, it now looks as though the two most powerful office-holders in the city are, of all things, bike commuters. The third most powerful, newly elected County Executive Dow Constantine, is a bike lover, as is another newcomer, Council [...]
Posted in Advocacy, Obama Bikes, Transportation | Tagged cascade bicycle club, David Hiller, Dow Constantine, mayor of seattle, mike mcginn, mike o'brien, richard conlin
By Paul Andrews, BI editor on November 7, 2009
Bike Radar has a detailed report on the “landmark case” of the LA physician recently convicted for doorstopping cyclists. We see the conviction as significant but not breakthrough, since intent is already (and has been for some time) a judicial threshold for culpability in cycling collisions. A real landmark will come when conviction does not [...]
Posted in Advocacy, Culture, Obama Bikes, Transportation | Tagged bicycle justice, bike rage, Dr. Christopher Thomas Thompson, road rage
By Paul Andrews, BI editor on October 26, 2009
Tomorrow is “We Are The Missing Link,” a testimonial gathering to get the Ballard part of the Burke-Gilman Trail connected. Meet at Shilshole Avenue opposite 17th, just west of the Ballard Bridge. Yes it’s one ugly intersection. There’s an apres party as well. More at SeattleLikesBikes. You don’t have to bring your bike or even [...]
Posted in Advocacy, Mountain Biking, News Cycle, Obama Bikes, Rider Down, Transportation | Tagged Burke-GIlman Trail, Danny MacAskill, ellsworth bicycles, mary yonkers
By Paul Andrews, BI editor on October 16, 2009
BikeRadar was at Biketoberfest in Fairfax, Marin County, last Saturday too. Great report from Gary Boulanger, the “US editor” with the French name. More than $14,000 was raised for advocacy causes, and a superb time was had by all. You can’t beat October weather in NorCal. Most of the time, anyway. From the Bay Area, [...]
Posted in News Cycle, Transportation | Tagged Bay Area storm, Gary Boulanger, marin biketoberfest
