Kenneth C. Martin Blogs: The Monday Roundup: Commute discrimination, cultural appropriation, Dutch inspiration and more

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

The Monday Roundup: Commute discrimination, cultural appropriation, Dutch inspiration and more

Welcome to the week.

Today’s Monday Roundup (that I realize is on a Tuesday) is sponsored by Cycle Oregon’s new Gravel event coming up October 5-7th. There are still spots left!

Here are the best things we came across in the past seven days…

Signs matter: New research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says lowering posted speed limits by as little as 5 mph causes people to slow down. Someone should tell ODOT.

Vision more transit: Research (funded by a transit group) finds that places with higher transit ridership per capita also have fewer traffic fatalities.

Not enough vision: Several counties in England are cracking down on visually-impaired drivers by taking away licenses upon failure of a basic eye test.

Snob scoots Stumptown: Don’t miss this very fun take on the scooter scene in Portland from none other than Evan “Bike Snob NYC” Weiss.

Scary numbers: A strong majority of respondents (62 percent) in a UK government survey said the top reason they don’t bike is that they don’t feel safe on roads. What that number would be in the US?

“Commute discrimination”: A study in Washington D.C. found that employers were much more likely to call back job applicants who lived closer to the position — which tend to be more expensive.

Hit-and-run injustice: NY Times examines police crash investigation policies in light of one woman’s frustrating attempts to find justice after being victim of a hit-and-run.

Blatant cultural appropriation: A Czech bike brand has issued a statement and says changes are coming after criticisms for their over-the-top use of Native American imagery and culture in their marketing.

Hand signals: The New Yorker did a fun illustrated spread titled, “Cyclist Hand Signals and their Meanings.”

Going Dutch: This quality interview from Vox with authors Melissa and Chris Bruntlett is a handy primer on Dutch cycling culture and how it can inspire a revolution in America.

Happy streets?: An advocate with Washington Area Bicyclist Association laid out a fantastic argument for why we should provide less more space on our streets for the majority of people who don’t use cars: Because it would make everyone happier.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

Never miss a story. Sign-up for the daily BP Headlines email.

BikePortland needs your support.