Car, Schmar

Willamette Week releases its annual Portland bike guide

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:05:37 -0700

Willamette Week releases its annual Portland bike guide:

Money quote from the intro (which ludicrously wonders why anyone drives in Portland, though that’s probably just comment bait): This is one of the few American cities where you can properly enjoy this perfect human-powered machine, and enjoy it you should.

Bike ride raising money for Katrina, Joplin, Sandy victims

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:20:31 -0700

So far, 40 cyclists plan to bike 800 miles from Joplin, Mo., to New Orleans to raise money for people who lost their homes in recent natural disasters. There’s still time to join the ride, and plenty of time to donate to the cause, which will aim to support people hit hard by Hurricane Katrina, the Joplin tornado and Hurricane Sandy.

Here are the event’s goals:

Raise a net of $150,000 for the charities (St. Bernard Project, Rebuild Joplin, We Build New York, Friends of Rockaway and Tunnel to Towers Foundation)
Help to bring at least one family home from each of these impacted areas
Spread the word about the work that still needs to be done
Educate about the work that St. Bernard Project is doing to create a Disaster Recovery Lab model
If successful, have another ride next year!

Saudi Arabia lifts bicycle ban for women

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:17:30 -0700

Saudi women can now ride bikes and motorcycles in public — but only for fun, not for transportation. It’ll be just like Audrey Hepburn’s wacky adventures in “Roman Holiday,” but with a little more fabric. According to Al Jazeera, “women must wear a full-body abaya, be accompanied by a male relative, and stay within certain areas.” (It is recommended that they not travel where young men gather, “to avoid harassment.”) Let the adventures begin …

[This excellent image is apparently by Mohammad Sharaf, posted on the Uprising of Women in the Arab World’s Facebook page.]

A Waterfront Park biker catches some cherry blossom action.

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:54:05 -0700

A Waterfront Park biker catches some cherry blossom action.

linusshentu: bus benches are portals to floral dimensions

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:58:25 -0800

linusshentu:

bus benches are portals to floral dimensions

A shop in Portland that I like plans to stock some of these...

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 09:00:56 -0800

A shop in Portland that I like plans to stock some of these reflective garments from Vespertine, and I can’t wait to see them in person. Time to start saving up, though: Some of these pieces cost an arm and a well-toned leg.

As part of his first exhibition at Galleria Continua in San...

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:26:05 -0800

As part of his first exhibition at Galleria Continua in San Gimignano, artist Ai Weiwei has installed 760 stacked bicycles in a sprawling installation on a raised stage within the gallery. It’s important to note that the bikes are not simply “stacked” but have been physically attached creating a single cohesive structure which can be explored from within, similar to his 2011 work Forever Bicycles. [via Colossal]

Avis acquires Zipcar in $500 mil deal

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:42:00 -0800

Avis acquires Zipcar in $500 mil deal:

From the press release:

Car sharing has grown to be a nearly $400 million business in the United States and is expanding rapidly in major cities around the world. Zipcar has led this industry, leading in innovation and world-class service. Zipcar now has more than 760,000 members, known as Zipsters, with a market-leading presence in 20 major metropolitan areas in the United States, Canada and Europe, and fleet positioned at over 300 college and university campuses.

Researcher: To control weight, get out of your car

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 18:05:00 -0800

Researcher: To control weight, get out of your car:

This advice might be better targeted to those experiencing higher temperatures than, say, Wisconsin has right now. Still, money quote: “These small changes in our driving and dietary habits can lead to long-term significant changes in obesity issues.”

Huzzah for the Google Maps iPhone app

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:19:00 -0800

After hearing about Apple’s map debacle all those months ago, I resisted upgrading my iPhone software for the longest time but finally succumbed in mid-November. It took me only a couple of days to get annoyed at the subpar search and zero transit maps from Apple Maps (it tries to make up for that by catapulting users off to a list of separate routing apps). Thankfully, though, Google Maps’ new iPhone app saved me from the headache after only three weeks.

As a car-free city dweller, I use my stupid-expensive smartphone mostly as a map — to quickly figure out where to catch the next bus, usually in the rain/cold. PDX Bus is a good app, but the original Google-powered map on my phone was always a better option when I didn’t want to look up an address first to paste into PDX Bus. (Sometimes I’m in a hurry, or my fingers don’t work well when it’s below 40º. First-world problems, I know.)

When the Google Maps app arrived last week, I pounced on it, and so far I’ve found it to be slick and extremely useful — even better than its previous iPhone incarnation. (Highlights are predictive search, 3D-style scrolling, saving a default type of directions: walking/driving/transit.)

I do have two complaints: First, when I was done running errands a couple of miles from home and looked up the next bus back to my place, Google didn’t recognize my home address and placed the destination about 10 miles off course. It did find the random street number I typed in on the next attempt, though. Second, there are still no bike maps. That’s not a major concern in Portland, where most bike commuters can learn the best routes pretty quickly, but I still consider it a flaw (though I still have no plans to switch to Android).

Another nice thing about the app, though? It’s always sunny in Portland on Google Maps:

Update: Hey, morrispavilion. Yes, you can drop pins on the map. I hadn’t done that yet, since I downloaded it only two days before. But also, it simply did not know where I was trying to go and guessed completely wrong, even though I am sure I didn’t make any typos.

One way around traffic muddle in Brooklyn: riding a bicycle

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:26:00 -0700

One way around traffic muddle in Brooklyn: riding a bicycle:

Not that Hurricane Sandy was good for anything, but this story is refreshing to read. It also reminds me that I always thought I’d need a bike as a survival tool living in uber-populated, disaster-prone California.

Though it took slightly longer than the train, he said, he thought he would keep biking even after the subway started running again.

“It saves money, and it’s less of a headache,” he said. “It gives you time to think, meditate and get your exercise on.” More

I’ve been commuting in the rain for the past two weeks...

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 14:37:00 -0700

I’ve been commuting in the rain for the past two weeks with little in the way of rain gear. That all changed today with a kismet-y outing to the SE Grand trifecta — Next Adventure, Andy & Bax, Bike ‘n’ Hike — that I’ve frequented with no luck in the past.

Biggest score: Used rainproof pannier for $40! (The long pannier hunt is over.)
Essentials: Eco-friendly chain cleaner/lube
Ugh: Rain pants. I used to scoff at rain pants, and then I got stuck in my first actual downpour.
Also: Yes, that is a homemade reflective vest. A couple weeks ago I bought a used “athletic” vest at a thrift store and sewed white reflective trim on the front and back.

The best part is that the stipend for bike maintenance/rain stuff I’ll get from my company this winter will cover all of this. (Just another reason to ♥ Portland.)

This song keeps popping into my head during my rides to and from...

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:40:15 -0700

This song keeps popping into my head during my rides to and from work these days. If it’s not actually raining on my face, I’ve got frigid wind sending tear tracks down my cheeks.

I dub thee 'Precipocalypse 2012' (yes, that's getting old)

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 23:49:00 -0700

I dub thee 'Precipocalypse 2012' (yes, that's getting old):

Evidently Los Angeles doesn’t have the monopoly on freaking out about the onslaught of rain re: driving on streets and freeways.* After three months of L.A. weather, Oregon’s about to get hit with fall storms for the official start of the rainy season. Woot. Greasy! As a car-free bike commuter adjusting to experiencing actual seasons, I’m only about 40% ready for this in terms of material possessions. However, mentally I’m 100% on board, and it only took three months of sun to make me forget that it’s … well, it’s going to be horrible. Kidding. Bring it on! I guess!

*because the person who wrote in to the Oregonian about — gasp — slippery streets is from San Diego

I saw this flyer at wee music festival PDX Pop Now, but I keep...

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 08:51:34 -0700

I saw this flyer at wee music festival PDX Pop Now, but I keep forgetting that the Streetcar Mobile Music Fest is a thing that happens in Portland. (Of course it is!) About a dozen bands will perform on streetcars tonight from 6-10 — and for those who aren’t into serendipity, there’s a schedule. Part of me is nonplussed about live music on a streetcar. I mean, this happens on public transportation in cities all over the globe every day. It’s called busking. Then again, I’m in favor of anything that encourages people to use public transit. If I manage to set foot on a streetcar tonight — now only $1! — I promise to report back.

To encourage biking, cities lose the helmets

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 10:29:28 -0700

To encourage biking, cities lose the helmets:

I suppose anyone who thinks helmets are unnecessary is free to one day fall off a bike after a seemingly safe maneuver — or the unexpected impact with a car door, dodging a hole in the street, etc. — and find out whether they would’ve rather had a helmet hit the ground than their head. Of course by then it’s too late. At least you got to see Paris?

Happy Carmageddon II! Stay green, L.A.

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 09:58:00 -0700

Happy Carmageddon II! Stay green, L.A.

I finally went over the bridge with the counter at night. 4,510...

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:44:00 -0700

I finally went over the bridge with the counter at night. 4,510 bikers on a weekday: not too shabby, Portland!

Portland eastside streetcar already has problems

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 18:49:02 -0700

Portland eastside streetcar already has problems:

Just last night a friend and I were talking about the new Central Loop streetcar line, and we made plans to go up against it in a footrace. Today, Willamette Week has a story about the streetcar’s many issues, plus an explanation that indeed it’s sometimes faster to walk than take the westside streetcar.

I have a sudden urge to watch “Marge vs. the Monorail.”

Bike and be counted

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:51:00 -0700

Bike and be counted:

An electronic bicycle counter on Portland’s Hawthorne Bridge went live today and already counted 7,000-plus cyclists, according to some reports. The counter, the first one to hit North America, will provide data aimed to improve bicycle infrastructure in the city. The Hawthorne Bridge is one of the busiest in terms of bike traffic, so this thing should get a workout.