Archive for ‘Bicycles’

Washington, DC Officially Launches Bike Share Program

by Lewis Derkins
August 13th, 2008, 10:13 pm


Washington, DC just became the first city in the nation to launch a technologically advanced public bike share program. I actually saw one of these things in action last week, and in general I think this is a very good ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Spending | 1 Comment »

Summer Streets – Success or Dud?

by Lewis Derkins
August 11th, 2008, 10:42 pm


The question of how successful New York’s Summer Streets was this weekend is hard to answer, and different sources give different accounts. It seems that many businesses think it was a disaster, while most pro-bicycle organizations think it was a ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Spending | 11 Comments »

Rude Olympic Cyclists Arrive in Beijing

by Judd Wiley
August 5th, 2008, 6:52 pm


Today, several members of the U.S. cycle squad arrived in Beijing for the Olympic Games wearing black respiratory masks. The idea apparently was to make a political statement about air pollution, the environment, and possibly global warming. I have a few comments ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Environmentalism, Politics, Third World Hellholes | 16 Comments »

NYC To Sell Bridges

by Lewis Derkins
July 31st, 2008, 10:56 pm


This just in - Governor Paterson announced yesterday that New York may sell much of its infrastructure including roads, bridges and tunnels to “close a massive budget deficit.” Luckily, a mysterious private financier has emerged to bail New York out of ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Privatization | 5 Comments »

National Resources Defense Council Asks: Why So Much Bike Hate?

by Lewis Derkins
July 31st, 2008, 10:16 pm


Today a National Resources Defense Council blogger asks why there is so much anger directed toward bicyclists. Plenty of angry cyclists are quick to point out perceived persecution, but you don’t often hear a cyclist take the opposite point of view ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Laws | 8 Comments »

A Bicycle Lane Children’s Story

by Lewis Derkins
July 31st, 2008, 9:08 pm


Today Bob Korfhage, the former president of Siskiyou Velo bicycle club, treated Southern Oregon’s large contingent of five-year-old Mail Tribune readers to an elementary lesson on bike lanes. I am going to quote this in its entirety, and systematically ridicule it ... more

Posted in Bicycle Lanes, Bicycles | 4 Comments »

New York Post Columnist Rips Into Dangerous Bicyclists

by Lewis Derkins
July 30th, 2008, 6:27 pm


Today, Andrea Peyser of the New York Post slams bicyclists for the injuries and deaths they inflict on pedestrians. We’ve covered this topic before, but Ms. Peyser has unearthed some new facts. A spokesman for Transportation Alternatives, the bicycle-advocacy group, told me ... more

Posted in Bicycle Lanes, Bicycles, Laws | 9 Comments »

San Francisco’s Moronic Market Street Plan

by Lewis Derkins
July 29th, 2008, 10:15 pm


San Francisco is kicking around a plan to ban all automobile traffic on Market Street. Market Street is a major traffic thoroughfare for San Francisco, and this plan would close 2.3 miles to cars in order to open it up to ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Politics, Traffic Congestion | 2 Comments »

Critical Mass: Organized Lawlessness

by Judd Wiley
July 29th, 2008, 9:43 pm


On Friday evening, January 25, 2008, a mass of cyclists were riding illegally through Times Square in Manhattan, blowing through red lights and impeding the flow of traffic. Tempers flared and NYPD Officer Patrick Pogan pushed a cyclist named Christopher ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Laws, Politics, Traffic Congestion | 9 Comments »

What the Hell is Transportation Alternatives Talking About?

by Lewis Derkins
July 28th, 2008, 6:52 pm


In the New York Times yesterday, Transportation Alternatives reiterated their ridiculous claim that 131,000 New Yorkers bike to work each day. We’ve pointed out how idiotic this claim is before, but it surprises me that major news organizations continue to ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Spending | 22 Comments »

Who Pays Their Own Way in New York?

by Lewis Derkins
July 26th, 2008, 11:37 pm


We often hear that automobiles are heavily subsidized. We hear that there are far more expenditures for automobiles than revenues derived from their use. This argument is typically used to advance pro-bike and pro-mass transit agendas. We hear, without much evidence, ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Car Taxes, Highways, Mass Transit, Spending, Subways, Tax Increases, Uncategorized Rage | 5 Comments »

Concern Over Nationwide Increase in Bike Accidents

by Lewis Derkins
July 21st, 2008, 7:33 pm


On Friday, MSNBC ran a story documenting the increase in accidents as more people switch from bicycles to cars in the wake of rising oil prices. [I]n the months since motorists began pedaling in droves, it has become clear that all ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Traffic Accidents | No Comments »

Bike Lanes - Safe or Not?

by Lewis Derkins
July 15th, 2008, 11:09 pm


The Washington Post Express ran an article today about bicycle safety. This article comes on the heels of a tragic traffic accident last week that claimed the life of a young woman on a bicycle. The article makes the case that ... more

Posted in Bicycle Lanes, Bicycles, Laws | 2 Comments »

Dr. Thompson: Put Him Behind Bars, Shred His Driver’s License

by Judd Wiley
July 15th, 2008, 11:20 am


If you’re at all interested in the escalating tensions between drivers and bicyclists, you’re probably aware that, on July 4, a physician, Dr. Christopher Thomas Thompson, 59, jammed on his brakes in front on two bicyclists on Mandeville Canyon Road ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Road Rage, Traffic Accidents | 9 Comments »

Washington Area Bicyclist Association Opposes Speed Limits on Capital Crescent Trail

by Lewis Derkins
July 14th, 2008, 7:14 pm


The Washington Area Bicyclist Association has called for pro-bike supporters to come out to a public meeting being held tonight to debate the implementation of safety restrictions on the Capital Crescent Trail. The Trail is a popular bicycle and pedestrian ... more

Posted in Bicycles, Laws, Politics, Speed Limit, Traffic Accidents | 7 Comments »