Top gear race
Can a cyclist beat a car, boat and public transport to downtown London? Watch as this cyclist (without
Can a cyclist beat a car, boat and public transport to downtown London? Watch as this cyclist (without
36 million drivers would flunk drivers tests
...Well, if a test administered by GMAC Insurance is any indication, one in six people cruising our highways and byways -- roughly 36 million licensed drivers -- would flunk their driver's test if they had to take it today. Not only that, but based on the 2007 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test data the state with the most road-going dummies is New York, while the most knowledgeable ones are out West to Idaho.
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* Drivers 35 and older were more likely to pass
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According to GMAC Insurance, 18 percent of respondents failed its National Driving Test in 2007, compared with 9 percent in 2006. The test can be taken online at <a href="http://www.gmacinsurance.com">www.gmacinsurance.com</a>;.
What are bike links?
A 1972 video that depicts the Beginning of Eugene's Bike System and Riverbank Trail....
For the non-bicycle rider, let me raise this question, is the car the best and quickest way to move yourself from the university to the downtown mall? Consider this rapid transit alternative. [Shows fast motion video of bike going downtown.]
Why is sponsored research into cycling safety so flawed?
By Bob Shanteau
Bicycle advocates,
Many times in my career as a traffic engineer and bicycling advocate, I've had other professional engineers tell me that they do not support doing something for cyclists that I have proposed either because they are convinced that it is not safe for the majority of cyclists or they do not know how to do it in a way that is safe for cyclists. For example, some years ago I was speaking with the chief traffic engineer for Caltrans District 4 about bicycle access to the Richmond-San Rafael bridge. She told me that she was responsible for the safety of all road users and that she absolutely refused to allow bicyclists to use the ramps necessary to access the bridge. In another case, engineers for the Fort Ord Reuse Agency told me that they did not provide for cyclists on the reconstructed 12th Street interchange to State Route 1 because they did not know how to do it safely. More recently, the chief of the Electrical Systems Branch at Caltrans told me that she did not believe that bicycles could be reliably detected using inductive loops even though I had just given her a detailed presentation showing how it could be done.
Pedal-powered Buick lands artist in court
..."The problem is only the perception. Police can't accept a car to be modified and to be moving without petrol."
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"Automobiles are inherently dangerous because of their big powerful motors," said Fox, manager of the legal advisory department in a branch of the Canadian Automobile Association. "This thing only went 15 km/h. I'd like to ask the officer how many people have been killed by a muscular powered vehicle."
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De Broin said his plan is to tow the car to court, win the case and then drive away "slowly" and "freely" on the streets of Toronto.
Woops! Bicycling is more recreational than a mode of transportation - AHTD
-> In a Nov. 8th note, Terry Eastin, executive director of Mississippi River Trail, wrote, "During a recent comment period for the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) 2007 Statewide Plan, the following language was included regarding Bicycling in Arkansas. As soon as the plan was released, there was a public outcry that included mayors, business leaders, cycling advocates, and trail supporters. Below the original language, you will see newly written amended language. Original text: "Bicycling and walking are not considered major modes of non-recreational transportation in Arkansas. Bicycle and pedestrian activities are characterized as more recreational than as a mode of transportation. This trend is likely to continue for the next 20 years. Neither activity is a highly viable option for transportation in Arkansas...
Revised text: "The importance of bicycling and walking as modes of transportation in Arkansas is growing. As more Arkansans become health conscious, bicycling and walking will become more important. Furthermore, many individuals living in communities with no access to public transportation systems and working at lower wage jobs rely on bicycling and walking as their sole means of transportation...
10 year olds in the UK are being taught how and when to use the center of the lane
RIDING POSITIONSPrimary Position
* A position that is further out from the kerb, taking control of the entire width of the lane.
* Following traffic must stay behind or use the next lane to overtake.
* This position is used when passing road junctions and road narrowings, or when the cyclist wishes to discourage other traffic
from overtaking.
Secondary Position
* A position up to a metre away from the kerb, allowing traffic to pass in the same lane.
Getting behind bicycle safety
<img width="160" height="92" align="left" src="http://www.baltimorespokes.org/images/articles/20071112224430367_1.jpg" alt="">A 20-mile Halloween ride by sumo bicyclists had motorists looking twice. Ken Webster, David Winnie, Kelley Hansen, Lance Anderson, Curt Doman and Elliott Smith put on inflatable sumo suits and helmets
Bicycle Trails and Bridges Are Nice, But Changing Attitudes Would Be Better
PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll Finds Tensions Between Cyclists, Drivers SEATTLE, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The greater Seattle region has a ways to go before becoming one of the country's great bicycling cities, according to the results of the 2007 PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll. And, the poll shows, some of the biggest challenges are not funding bike trails or signage, but changing attitudes and creating a spirit of sharing the road between cyclists and drivers.
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"There's still a lot of misunderstanding between riders and motorists," said Osterberg. "Many times that misunderstanding fuels some dangerous encounters, like the road rage incident in Fremont a few days ago." In that incident, a motorist frustrated with a cyclist's use of a lane allegedly followed and harassed the cyclist with his vehicle. The poll shows why such a scenario can occur: only one out of every five Washingtonians (20 percent) believes that it is legal for bicyclists to ride two abreast, taking up an entire lane of traffic.
Two of the most important aspects of bicyclists' legal rights are the right to take an entire lane, and to ride two-abreast in a lane.
"Drivers often get frustrated by that, but it's the law, and it's there to provide a margin of safety for the rider," Osterberg said.
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