The Monday Roundup: Chaos in utopia, a ‘bicycle beltway’, Oslo’s big move, and more

We haven’t done a roundup since before the holiday break. So let’s get going…

Netherlands bike lane problem: The Guardian reports on a chaotic mix of e-bikes and other types of micro-vehicles that are causing confusion and major safety issues in the legendary bikeways of Amsterdam. Buried in that story is a startling rise in e-biking deaths.

A “bicycle beltway”: I love how D.C. is talking about cycling in the same way they talk about driving. That’s how you change the status quo. And guess what? It’s inspired largely by the success of their bike share program.

End RTOR: More good things from D.C.: They plan to end right-turn-on-red at 100 intersections this year. The law that emerged in the 1970s as a gas-saving measure is falling out of favor because of dangers posed by right-turning drivers.

Power of bikes: The East Side Riders Bicycle Club is helping keep kids in Watts, California stay away from gangs and other bad stuff.

Don’t penalize, subsidize!: A large city in Italy plans to pay people to ride bikes and will even subsidize their purchase of a new bike. Take that all you supporters of Oregon’s absurd $15 bike tax!

Hello, Oregon legislators. Anyone home?: A report from the state-appointed Global Warming Commission says greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise in Oregon primarily because people are driving too much.

Rep. Power gets it: Oregon House Rep. Karin Power who represents parts of southeast Portland and Clackamas County, shared an opinion in The Oregonian about the urgency of passing laws in 2019 that will limit the impacts of climate change.

Oslo ups the ante: “We’re doing this to give the streets back to the people,” says Oslo’s vice mayor for urban development in a NY Times report on their plan to remove all auto parking spaces from the city center.

Florida’s bad behavior: The “Panhandle State” is statistically the most dangerous place to ride bikes — and the local experts say it’s largely because of a traffic culture that only respects driving.

Portland is off-the-back: Our once-leading bicycle city is glaringly absent from the People for Bikes list of 10 best new bikeways of 2018.

We’re growing fast: Since 1990 the population of the Portland metro area has grown by 61 percent, or 929,000 people! See how that compares to other cities in this tweet from Michael Andersen.

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

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