An occasional update on items from the Velo-city.
________________________________________________________________________
EUROS PER CUPCAKE
S.B. Godfrey sends along this cool little Dutch tool that measures the personal and societal benefits of going by bike:
No, you don’t have to know Dutch; there’s English translation. And you can measure your results in Euros saved and cupcakes not consumed.
________________________________________________________________________
WORDS AND MUSIC
Lyrics for a young New Yorker, sailing down a Manhattan avenue on a well-tuned bicycle:
Skin …
That covers me from head to toe
Except a couple tiny holes and openings
Where, the city’s blowin’ in and out
This is what it’s all about,Delightfully …
These are words – third verse of Glass, Concrete and Stone – by David “Bicycle Diaries” Byrne. Best heard to the music, and then playing around in your head when cycling in the city.
________________________________________________________________________
DON’T BE A JERK
Speaking of New York, Stephen Rees passes along another profile of NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, noting how she constantly emphasizes the business case for her pro-ped, pro-cycling interventions. As we should too.
But what jumped out at me was an upcoming city campaign targeted at cyclists:
…. Last year, the NYPD handed out 29,000 tickets to bikers for traffic infringements. And 2011 will see a major media campaign aimed at persuading cyclists to follow the rules and use the road considerately. The campaign slogan is deliciously New York: “Don’t be a jerk!”
And we should too.
________________________________________________________________________
Unfortunately Vancouver fines helmet-less normal cyclists, encouraging risk-taking sports-cycling jerks to dominate.
More of these please:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16nine/376370565/in/set-72157594400316816/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16nine/4559735127/
And fewer of these:
http://ubyssey.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/20101030__-2.jpg