Cycling to Work Enjoys a Rebirth


<img width="160" height="111" align="left" src="http://www.baltimorespokes.org/images/articles/20061003153116446_1.jpg" alt="">Early in the 20th century, bicycling to do errands or to work was common in the United States, and seeing bikes on racks on the back of streetcars was not unusual. Commuters often used a combination of walking, cycling and taking mass transit. Even in the 1940s, bicycling was still a major means of transportation for not-too-distant trips.

But that began to change in the 1950s and 60s, when car use rapidly accelerated, fueled by the building of the high-speed Interstate highway system, heavily subsidized through federal funding. Ultimately crisscrossing over 40,000 miles, the new freeways chiseled through cities and towns, sometimes splitting neighborhoods in two, and created new pathways for development and sprawl far away from urban centers.

Bicycling and walking increasingly took a back seat to driving or riding in cars. By 1990, the Federal Highway Administration called bicycling and walking &quot;the forgotten modes&quot; of transportation.


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Quote for the day


Congressman Earl Blumenauer once said: &quot;Let's have a minute's silence for all those Americans who are currently sitting in traffic on the way to the gym to ride a stationary bicycle.&quot;
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Florida


- Palm Beach Post:
On Sunday, a new state law takes effect that requires motorists to maintain a minimum 3-foot safe distance when passing bicyclists. The fine is $118.50.
...
On narrow roads, like State Road A1A, a popular road for cyclists which has 12-foot wide travel lanes, motorists likely will have to cross the center line to comply with the new law. If there is oncoming traffic, drivers will have to wait until it's safe to pass.
...
&quot;If a car is going slower than you want to go, you can't just blow your horn, yell and cuss at them and expect them to move off the road so you can pass,&quot; said George Martin, executive director of the Safe Bicycling Coalition of Palm Beach County. &quot;Why should someone expect that of a bicyclist?&quot;

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The Health Benefits of Cycling


From CTC:
Who Should Read this Briefing?

This briefing is intended for anyone who is looking for one of the most convincing arguments to persuade people to cycle, to promote cycling or provide for cyclists. It should be equally useful for individuals and organisations concerned about physical inactivity and who need to know more about the health benefits of taking up cycling.

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The mountains have labored, and given birth to a mouse


- by Charles Komanoff and Michael Smith
New York City just released its first-ever study of bicycle crashes. There's good news and bad news. The good news is that four City agencies -- health, transportation, parks and police -- admitted, finally, that bicycling is good for New York City, and pledged to expand the City's cycling infrastructure. The study also didn't indulge in the NYPD's habitual victim-blaming in cycling fatalities -- a significant though unacknowledged shift.

But here's the bad news: The study has many methodological flaws and misleading &quot;findings,&quot; leading it to over-emphasize helmets and bike lanes and neglect the need for universal street safety. And the study completely neglects the fact that most fatal crashes are caused by aggressive, self-entitled drivers, and laissez-faire policing that allows motorists to literally get away with murder.

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The More You Drive, The Less Intelligent You Are


A collection of stupid and/or demented observations from drivers.

The fabulous Katherine Roberts was taking the lane as usual, when a car tailgated her, honked, and then angrily zoomed around her, passing much too close. She caught up with it at the next light (of course). The driver insisted that she didn't belong in the lane. And why? "Isn't it obvious? I'm in my car, and you're on your legs!" A friend later suggested the perfect rejoinder: "No, I'm on my feet and you're on your ass!"

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Adrian Fenty - DC democratic running for mayor


Adrian Fenty just won the DC democratic primary for mayor, which in this city is tantamount to election. He is a cyclist himself (actually a tri-athlete) and this is what he had to say when asked about cycling-related policy:

Quote:
My campaign has brought me to every major intersection in the City. I see bicyclists &quot;sharing&quot; the road with aggressive drivers, many of whom are from Virginia and Maryland. Frankly, I've seen some pretty scary moments where drivers were careless, on cell phones or apparently unaware of the rights of bicyclists.

My administration will work with bicyclists to increase safety and the ease of bicycling. I believe there has to be consistable education of DC drivers, but particularly of Maryland and Virginia drivers who must understand that bicyclists have road rights in the District. My administration will enforce our laws and increase the security of bicyclists.
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Walk to School Day - October 4


Celebrate Walk to School Day on October 4, 2006 or pick any day in October to participate in International Walk to School Month. Register at <a href="http://www.walktoschool.org/register/index.cfm">http://www.walktoschool.org/register/index.cfm</a>; and join millions of children and adults around the globe who participate in this annual event by walking or biking. All registered schools have the chance to win prizes in random drawings each week leading up to Walk to School Day. Grand prizes include pedometers for a classroom and 100 backpacks. For planning ideas, see <a href="http://www.walktoschool.org/eventideas/index.cfm">http://www.walktoschool.org/eventideas/index.cfm</a>;.
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