Maillot Jaune: New Mexico's Governor might run for President. And like so many others, he's also a cyclist. "On one visit [to iowa], Mr. Johnson pedaled the 472 miles of the Des Moines Register Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa." Meanwhile, CEO's and military leaders say driving alone helps terrorists.
Podium: One school in Maine tries an honor-system based bike sharing system. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't really work.
Podium: Maybe they should only write stories about pro cyclists who aren't accused of doping. It would be more efficient.
Maillot Vert: A Massachusetts State Senator says that bike trails are part of a holistic approach to health care. Sen. Jamie Eldridge, the bill's sponsor, said a major goal of the legislation is to encourage communities to take into account everything from bike trails to open space when crafting new zoning plans.
Maillot a Pois Rouge: A Nevada bike trail plan tries to negotiate a difficult spot. If planners take the trail around a large rock feature, they'll go through land sacred to the Washoe Tribe. If they follow the highway through the tunnels, they'll have to close a lane to automobile traffic. "State highway officials believe it would not necessarily be unreasonable to close a lane in one of the tunnels."
Maillot Blanc: The rise and fall of the American paperboy at How We Drive. I didn't have a paper route, but my neighbor did and when he was out of town my parents let me deliver his papers for a fee. The year I was going to be "old enough," by my parents summation, to take on a route myself, the local paper shut down it's afternoon edition. Concern about safety is cited as one reason why paperboys are going the way of milkmen. Meanwhile Idaho considers a law requiring kids 12 and under to wear bike helmets.
Lanterne Rouge: Bike polo in L.A. "It's been a long time since I felt included in a group like this," Wainscott said. "I was such a sad, sad story of a loner, and then I got into the bikes."... Bicycle polo is more than a century old. Irish cyclist Richard J. Mecredy is generally credited with inventing the game in 1891....A new organizing body, North American Hardcourt, composed of three representatives from each of the nation's seven regions - including Dash, who represents the southwest region - formed about a year ago to orchestrate events like the North American Hardcourt Bicycle Polo Championships, to standardize the rule of play and to help clubs pool resources.
And....
Data out of San Francisco shows that drivers are more often to blame in bike-car collisions.
Over the past two years, drivers were faulted by the police in 573 accidents involving vehicles and bikes — 57 percent of the total — according to the data. Cyclists were to blame in 428 accidents, or 43 percent.
Oddly enough, it is cyclists who are more often guilty of speeding. Must be the hills. Cycling in SF is up 58% since 2006. There was a 7% increase in bike-car crashes from 2008 to 2009.
I went to school up in Brunswick, Maine and I remember an honor-code bike sharing system for downtown. In order to deter theft, the bikes were painted bright pink. I don't think too many were stolen; vandalism and disrepair ended up claiming most of them.
Posted by: Bilsko | February 13, 2011 at 04:18 PM
Gary Johnson is a very interesting candidate from the cyclist POV. A libertarian conservative who likes bikes.
If he was elected, that would be three bike-enthusiastic Presidents in a row.
Regarding driving alone: recent Wikileaks data show that Saudi Arabia has significantly underestimated its oil reserves.
Posted by: SJE | February 13, 2011 at 08:06 PM
I'd invest in some soccer shin guards if I ever played bike polo. I didn't see them mentioned in the list of protective gear.
Posted by: Michael H. | February 14, 2011 at 07:37 AM