Streetsblog Network

On the face of things, it's hard to understand why would anyone oppose bicycling. It's cheap, it's healthy, it's good for the environment.

A study published in this month's American Journal of Public Health finds that highly influential transportation engineers relied on shoddy research to defend policies that discourage the development of protected bike lanes in the U.S. In their paper, the researchers point out that male-dominated engineering panels have repeatedly torpedoed street designs that have greater appeal to female cyclists.

It's bike to work day, America! Hope you had a lovely commute today. This will probably come as no surprise, but if you biked to work this morning and you live in a city that's making an effort to improve conditions for cycling, odds are you had a lot more company on the streets this morning than you did a few years ago.

In the movement to create a multi-modal transportation system, states tend to be the toughest nut to crack. More aligned with rural interests, many state leaders seem to get a perverse thrill out of scuttling their major cities' transit plans.

Thanks to everyone who's given to Streetsblog and Streetfilms so far in our spring pledge drive -- we're nearly a quarter of the way to our fundraising goal of $40,000. I can't emphasize enough how crucial it is for readers to chip in and help us reach our targets. Your contributions keep us going so we can deliver news and commentary about the transition to safer city streets that work for people, not cars. So keep those donations coming!

There's a line of reasoning advanced by the media, angry motorists and, sometimes, cyclists, that goes something like: Since some cyclists don't follow the rules, cyclists don't deserve respect.

Just last month, we were shaming Tulsa, Oklahoma, with our "Golden Crater" award for the downtown most riddled with surface parking lots. But today, we applaud the city for taking steps to reverse the plague of excess parking.

[Due to Chicago's fickle spring weather, we celebrate Bike to Work Week a month later than most of the country. However, to get you excited for next month's events and about encouraging friends and family to try urban cycling, here are some interesting stats about the benefits of biking. - JG]

We reported last week that Republican state legislators in Wisconsin were doing their damnedest to kill the Milwaukee streetcar -- though a civil rights ruling from the 1990s specifically bars them from doing so.