Portland Elects Cyclist Mayor; Obama Draws 8K Supporters on Bikes
On Tuesday, voters in Portland, Oregon elected Sam Adams as their next mayor. A former Congressional staffer and current Portland city commissioner, Adams -- who is a cyclist -- ran on a platform that emphasized environmental and progressive growth initiatives, including, in the words of the Oregonian, "use [of] the Portland Streetcar and better planning to spur urban renewal." Adams received strong support from the livable streets community, which helped earn him a 52-34 percent margin of victory.
May 22, 2008
Streetfilms: The Diverter
From Streetfilms' animation division comes the third installment of traffic-calming shorts from Elizabeth Press. First she brought you chicanes, then the raised crosswalk. Now comes the diverter, which Elizabeth explains like so:
May 14, 2008
Clinton Camp May Rethink Gas Tax Strategy
With a big loss in North Carolina and a razor-thin victory in Indiana, the Times reports that Senator Hillary Clinton's advisers are expected to reconsider her campaign strategy for upcoming Democratic primaries -- specifically, whether to continue pushing for a federal gas tax cut.
May 8, 2008
New London Mayor Talks Up Buses and Bikes
Here's an interview from last year with London Mayor Boris Johnson, who ousted Ken Livingstone last week. It's pretty remarkable in that Johnson spends the first eight minutes talking about buses and bikes.
May 5, 2008
Americans Turn to Prayer at the Pump
As this country goes bonkers over $4-per-gallon gasoline, it would seem a good time for a sober discussion about our near-total dependence on one unsustainable mode of transport. But as modern Americans, we generally prefer whining to introspection. And when whining doesn't work, well, there's always prayer.
April 29, 2008