Category: Bicycle Advocacy
When someone clued Lance Armstrong about comments made by the host of a sports call-in show, he didn't like what he heard. His reaction on Twitter:
“Disgusting, ignorant, foolish. What a complete f-ing idiot.”
The “f-ing idiot” was Tony Kornheiser, long-time sports commentator who had already been suspended from ESPN once this year for commenting on an outfit worn by a female co-anchor.
What drew Armstrong's anger was Kornheiser's comments about how motorists should hit bicyclists with their cars. He was running-off at the mouth ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/19/armstrong-confronts-bicyclists-public-enemy-no-1/
It's hard to write about the new bicycling tool at Google maps without prefacing the term “bicycle route finder” with such adjectives as “amazing,” “cool,” or “way cool,” but I'll try.
Sweepstakes
First, Google maps made the official announcement of the biking directions tool with a Google Share Your Ride Sweepstakes complete with a $2,500 voucher for American Cyclery. Win by simply posting links your routes to Twitter.
Here's what Google says about the project at The Official Google blog and the Google LatLong blog…..
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/10/more-about-biking-directions-at-google-maps-win-a-bicycle/
The long wait is over for bicyclists who want to use Google maps to find the quickest, safest way from Point A to Point B.
Google maps launched a Beta version of its direction finder for bicycle routes on Wednesday. (See the “How to” video on the jump.)
The biking directons release comes in conjuction with the opening day of the National Bike Summit in Washington DC.
Folks who use their bicycles for commuting and running errands have been advocating for Google to add a layer for bicycles to its “Get Directions” function for cars, public transit and walking.
A petition started by Peter Smith at Google Maps 'BikeThere' received more than 50,000 signatures from bicyclists who wanted the service.
Google had hinted that the project was underway back in October 2009 when it announced that it had added 12,000 miles of bike paths ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/10/google-maps-launches-route-finder-for-bicyclists/
Some of Washington's state legislators must have been distracted when they were told that cellphone use delays a driver's reaction time as much as having a blood alcohol content of .08 percent, which can earn you a DUI.
The State House legislators voted to ban texting and cellphone use by 16- and 17-year-olds and make texting a primary offense for adult motorists. But adult handheld cellphone use is still a secondary offense, meaning you've got to be breaking some other law to be pulled over.
As a vulnerable road user when I'm on my bicycle, it constantly worries me that the motorist behind me might be more concerned with the cellphone call than what's in the road in front of him, namely me. I've read too many news reports of bicyclists killed or injured …..
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/04/washington-state-veering-away-from-complete-cellphone-ban/
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck made news yesterday when he vowed his department would do a better job to protect bike riders, “our most vulnerable commuters.”
Sadly, that kind of statement by a police chief would make news just about anywhere. Bicyclists commonly feel that they're treated as second-class citizens on the road by other drivers, police and the entire criminal justice system.
The chief made his remarks to bicyclists who showed up at a Los Angeles Transportation Committee meeting after a protest bike ride called by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.
The cyclists were protesting a Jan. 6 anti-bicycling outrage:
Bicyclist Ed Magos was struck from behind on a downtown street while he was bicycling to work. The driver of the Porsche got out, looked at Magos lying injured in the street, got back in her car …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/25/la-police-chief-to-cyclists-we-need-to-do-a-better-job-for-you/
Fairfax County (VA) Supervisor John Cook:
“I don't believe a bicycle is a transportation device. I think it's a recreation device. The big problem is people don't want to ride their bike in the rain or get sweaty before work.”
— As reported in the Washington Examiner and repeated at Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB) and DCStreetsblog.
Like FABB said, Supervisor Cook needs to get out more. I think he's just speaking from his insulated, personal experience ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/22/bicycle-quote-bicycles-are-not-transportation/
The drive to make bicycling safer hit severe roadblocks in three state legislatures last week.
The bad week started in Virginia where a bill to require cars to give bicycles 3 feet of clearance failed on Monday in the House of Delegates by a 54-43 vote.
Then on Tuesday, Washington's state's “vulnerable user” bill died when it failed to meet a Senate deadline for transfer to the House. On Thursday, the South Dakota Senate rejected a 3-foot passing law by a 10-24 vote.
It makes us wonder what bicyclists have to do to protect our safety out on the road. Keep demanding changes in the laws, I suppose ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/21/bicyclists-face-uphill-battle-for-legal-protections/
We might not like all the projects that the federal stimulus grants are funding, but it's cool to see some of the money going to build projects for bicycles.
Just today, the US Department of Transportation announced $1.5 billion in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants. About $43 million of that, or 3%, will go directly to bicycle and pedestrian path networks in Philadelphia-Camden and Indianapolis.
In addition, portions of grants to rebuild bridges and create rail-transit hubs in other cities will be used for bicycle facilities. See all the projects.
The biggest TIGER grant to bicycling announced Wednesday was the $23 million that Philadelphia and Camden will share for a 16.3-mile network of biking and hiking paths to connect the two cities. …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/17/your-federal-stimulus-dollars-pedaling-to-work/
Every Sunday and holiday, some 70 miles of streets in Bogota, Colombia, are closed to motor vehicles, allowing bicycle riders, skaters and pedestrians to roam free.
That ciclovia-style celebration has been catching on in some U.S. cities, where a thoroughfare or city park is ruled car-free for one or more weekend days in the spring and summer.
Now, more U.S. cities are ready to join those that already make their streets more liveable for at least one day a year.
Planning its first ciclovia is Spokane, Washington. Among cities that have a history of ciclovia-style events are Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, New York City, San Jose, Kansas City and Chicago …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/15/coming-to-a-city-near-you-this-summer-ciclovia/
A law requiring motorists to give 3 feet when passing bicycle riders on Mississippi roads appears headed to passage.
Nearly identical House and Senate bills — entitled the John Paul Frerer Bicycle Safety Act — have passed their respective houses and are headed to the other chambers for action.
Currently, 14 states require a 3-foot gap for bicycle riders. They are Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.
Five other states, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota and Virginia …..
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/13/mississippi-bicyclists-see-3-foot-passing-law-down-the-road/
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