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Author Archives Andy Cline

Carbon Trace Update

The big move downtown in just a little more than a week away. Although school is out for the summer, I’m going to be very busy getting stuff hauled over the the loft and taking care of other matters related to the move. So things could be a little quite here until the middle of [...]

Posted 20 May 2013 § ecology ‡ Comments (14) ° Tagged:

Of Blog Posts That Begin with ‘Of’

OK, so I have been riding a bicycle as basic transportation (which means every day there is not ice or snow) in Springfield for nine years. And I swear the number of bicyclists just keeps growing. There is almost never a moment these days, while riding in the urban core, that I do not see [...]

Posted 15 May 2013 § bicycle culture § bicycle destination § ecology ‡ Comments (18) ° Tagged: , ,

Of Advocacy and Stasis

To follow up on yesterday’s post, I want to address the whole discussion thing. I concluded my post with a short list suggesting that there are certain types of bicyclists that I’m willing to discuss advocacy with and certain types that, well, not so much. Now’s a good time to discuss stasis theory. Before one [...]

Posted 15 May 2013 § advocacy § bicycle culture § bicycle infrastructure § bicycle safety § ecology § safety ‡ Comments (49) ° Tagged: , , , , ,

Of Perception, Reality, and Desire

Here are two things you should go read right now: If you want to stop having this debate… Cyclists Aren’t ‘Special,’ And They Shouldn’t Play By their Own Rules I’m not going to comment directly on these except to say that each is important in its own way. Instead, I want to use these as [...]

Posted 14 May 2013 § advocacy § bicycle culture § bicycle infrastructure § bicycle safety § ecology § i am traffic § policy § safety § traffic ‡ Comments (22) ° Tagged: , , , , , ,

Perhaps Helmets Would Help

It seems pedestrians — especially older people and racial minorities — get regularly plowed by motor vehicles. Pedestrian trips make of 10 percent of total U.S. mode share, yet pedestrians suffer 13 percent of traffic deaths. The reasons for all of this are complex and complicated. But one thing I’ve experienced in my daily crossings of National [...]

Posted 13 May 2013 § policy § safety § walking ‡ Comments (8) ° Tagged: , ,

I Like To Watch And Listen

Every now and then I like to go to YouTube and watch traffic crash videos. You’ll find plenty of them because many people in Russia (and a few other countries out that way) run dash cams — I assume for insurance reasons. The following video is typical: You can also find many videos showing pedestrians [...]

Posted 08 May 2013 § bicycle safety § safety § traffic ‡ Comments (42) ° Tagged: , , ,

Bike To Everywhere Decade

Next week is Bike to Work Week in Springfield. Or, just another week. You see, I’m participating in, and about to complete, Bike to Everywhere Decade. I seriously do not mean to criticize Bike to Work Week or brag about what I do. It’s a good program. But I do have a minor gripe that’s [...]

Posted 07 May 2013 § advocacy § bicycle culture § ecology § news ‡ Comments (8) ° Tagged: , , , , ,

Traffic 101 Class Offered This June

League Cycling Instructor David Hutchison is offering the Traffic 101 course on 22 June in Springfield. Hutchison is a traffic engineer with the City of Springfield and a long-time bicycle commuter. I have taken both the League course with Hutchison and the CyclingSavvy course with Karen Karabell in St. Louis (I am also a CyclingSavvy Instructor). I [...]

Posted 06 May 2013 § advocacy § bicycle education § cyclingsavvy ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: , , ,

Enjoy The Death Zone

Bicycle infrastructure that violates the rules of safe movement is unsafe by definition. It doesn’t matter how much pretty green paint or fancy yellow reflectors you use. Take a look this from Boston University: Never mind for a moment that what we see here is a door-zone bicycle lane. Take a look at that green [...]

Posted 26 April 2013 § bicycle infrastructure § bicycle safety § safety § traffic ‡ Comments (27) ° Tagged: , ,

Wait. What? Normal People On Bicycles?

OK, take a look at this picture: That’s Cody, Ginger, and their son. I just got an e-mail from Cody telling me he and his family have moved to Springfield. They have a bicycle blog called Cycle Like a Stringer. Good stuff! Check it out. Technorati Tags: bicycle advocacy, bicycle culture, cycling, Springfield Missouri

Posted 23 April 2013 § advocacy § announcement § bicycle culture ‡ Comments (13) ° Tagged: , , ,

Who’s Wetter? Not Me

Wow. Big-time rain this morning. So I donned my rain suit and rode downtown for a coffee and bagel as usual because, well, rain isn’t stopping anyone else from moving around this morning. Look miserable? I guarantee you I arrived dryer than many people today who drove cars, parked in parking lots, and dashed through puddles into offices [...]

Posted 23 April 2013 § weather ‡ Comments (9) ° Tagged: ,

Breaking: Walking Is Good For You

Walking is an “amazing treatment” that can fight a number of maladies — including heart disease and obesity — according to a news release by Citiwire.net. OK, so I’m being a bit cheeky. But the reason that Citiwire is playing up this obvious “news” is that there is a crisis in American walking – at least according [...]

Posted 22 April 2013 § ecology § walking ‡ Comments (10) ° Tagged:

Mark Your Calendar For Bicycles & Brews

Bicycles & Brews and the Bicycle Film Festival will celebrate one of mankind’s greatest inventions in May. OK, make that three of mankind’s greatest inventions So mark your calendar for 11 May! Technorati Tags: bicycle culture, Bicycle Film Festival, Bicycles & Brews, cycling

Posted 16 April 2013 § announcement § bicycle culture § news ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: , , ,

The Bizzaro World of Courtesy

Yes, you do live in an episode of the Twilight Zone. Submitted for your approval, a world where the people who operate large, dangerous machines — automobiles — are given every courtesy, and,  in their mishaps with people who prefer to walk or ride a bicycle, are given the benefit of the “doubt.” The street [...]

Posted 12 April 2013 § ecology § safety § traffic § walking ‡ Comments (13) ° Tagged: , , ,

Mobility: Upwards and Otherwise

So it appears that even with an uptick in the real estate market, the whole home-ownership thing is losing its vaunted position at the core of the American Dream. Add to that what appears to be the end of the American love affair with cars among the Millennial  Generation and you have a potentially massive cultural [...]

Posted 05 April 2013 § ecology ‡ Comments (6) ° Tagged: ,