Month: August 2009
Streetsblog LA
Who Teaches the Teachers?
Public Safety officials continually lecture cyclists about the need to follow not just the letter of the law, but also to follow proven safety tips to stay safe during their rides. However, during a recent trip through the Downtown and in my own neighborhood, I've begun to notice anecdotal evidence that those charged with protecting us on the street don't know what those rules are.
August 5, 2009
Use Your Body and Your Brain Will Thank You
We talk a lot on this blog about abstractions -- theories of urban
development, economic hypotheses, planning paradigms. But in the end,
it all has to play out in the real world. And the real world of
transportation is about one simple thing: moving your body from one
place to another place.
August 5, 2009
Cartoon Tuesday: Why Does Alabama Hate California Bikes?
The online news outlet Digital City reports that the state of Alabama has banned the sale of Cycles Gladiator wine, produced by California winery Hahn Family Wines because of what it terms an inappropriate label. Digital City reports:
August 4, 2009
CBS Star’s Bike Crash Highlights Media’s Disrespect for Bicyclists
This weekend television actor Shemar Moore, currently a cast member of
CBS's Criminal Minds, was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle in
Los Angeles. This crash has been widely, and badly, reported by all
sorts of media outlets who view the crash as a cause for cheap jokes
and bad writing.
August 4, 2009
Following ‘Cash for Clunkers’ with ‘Riches for Rail’
Robert
Menendez (D-NJ), a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, began
his hearing on transit today by displaying the above cartoon by
Pulitzer prize-winner Tom Toles. The senator's message parallels
Toles': In a world where the auto industry can get $2 billion more in one week, what's to be done about rail's $50 billion backlog?
August 4, 2009
“Spatial Mismatch” and Why Density Alone Isn’t Enough
Density, density, density. It's something of a mantra in sustainable
transportation circles. But in today's featured post from the
Streetsblog Network, UrbanCincy points to the cautionary example of Atlanta -- a place that could perhaps best be described as dense sprawl.
August 4, 2009
Separating Myth from Fact on “Cash for Clunkers”
As
debate rages on in the capital over whether to keep assisting the auto
industry by giving out more "cash for clunkers" rebates, two assertions
are becoming commonplace: the program is helping diminish U.S. oil
consumption, and the program is not paid for with new money.
August 4, 2009
Greensters Wrap Film and Start a Revolution
Three weeks ago I asked the world for help in fulfilling Rebel Without
A Car Production's commitment to producing a film sustainably. Our goal
was to shoot locally and in partnership with the community.
August 4, 2009