Carbon Trace

On my way to the STAR Team meeting yesterday afternoon I noticed a distinctive car in my mirror as I was riding downtown — a Miles Electric Car owned by fellow team member Rick Scarlet.

Unlike the hybrids, this is an electric-only vehicle. And it is quiet. He and I have discussed before the possibility that manufacturers will need to add sound to alert pedestrians and bicyclists who must use all their senses to stay alive. But, remember, I have that nice big mirror to keep an eye out for texting teenagers and, apparently, electric cars.

Rick passes me safely and throws me a wave. In the parking lot of our meeting place he confesses that he almost honked — just to say “hi.”

“I saw you check your mirror, and I didn’t want to end up in a ‘honk report.’”

I told him he was going to end up here anyway

(Just to make this painfully clear, Rick is NOT a honker.)

From the STAR Team meeting:

• We took one last look at the new plan for the Springfield Bicycle Route System — including double-checking adding (especially for The Link) and eliminating some streets.
• We took a first look at full-sized illustrations of the new sign system (I’ll publish pictures as soon as I can get them). These signs will include a bicycle logo and route numbers.
• MoBikeFed Bicycle Day in Jefferson City will be 22 February this year.
• The Ozarks New Energy Conference will be held October 7-8 at Plaster Student Union at Missouri State University. I’ll be part of a panel discussion on alternative transportation on 7 October at 2:15 p.m.

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