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Category Archives: ecology

People Are Dumb

Two things this morning that haven’t happened in a long time: It’s raining, and I drove a car during rush hour. I didn’t drive to work. It was another matter. But I got a good reminder why life is so much better on a bicycle or on foot: When people get behind the wheel of a [...]

Posted 01 September 2010 † Andy Cline § ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged: , ,

Our Urban Challenge: The Euro Thing

Want to see a sneer of disgust cross the face of your average, suburban Springfieldian? Just mention anything European. I’ve been accused — in public meetings even — of wanting to force Americans to live like Europeans. And “like Europeans” is always spoken in derision by the folks who accuse me. Well, their accusations are [...]

Posted 30 August 2010 † Andy Cline § advocacy § policy ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: , , , , ,

Bicycle Commuter Rates

A reader alerted me to this map showing bicycle commuter rates in the U.S. Click the image for a choice of viewing sizes. Commuting is just one aspect of utility bicycling. I wonder if there’s more data on other kinds of trips, e.g. to the store, school, etc. Technorati Tags: bicycle advocacy, bicycle commuting, bicycle [...]

Posted 27 August 2010 † Andy Cline § advocacy ‡ Comments (4) ° Tagged: , , ,

The Thrill is Gone

I’m reading $20 Per Gallon now and will soon be comparing it to The Long Emergency in a comment/review here. While reading the $10 chapter on what changes we can expect in cars, I realized that I have fallen out of love. I really and truly no longer give a hoot about cars. Last year [...]

Posted 27 August 2010 † Andy Cline § advocacy ‡ Comments (4) ° Tagged: ,

Utility Cycling: There’s an App for That

Disclaimer: If you’re an iPhone user of long standing, this entry may be very boring for you. But do leave a comment if you have suggestions. Thanks! I’m a fairly recent convert to the iPhone. I bought my 3GS about two weeks before the new one hit the market (which saved me $$$). The app [...]

Posted 26 August 2010 † Andy Cline § advocacy § bicycle equipment ‡ Comments (9) ° Tagged: , , ,

Is Commuting Killing You?

A new Gallup study suggests that long commutes are bad for your well-being. I don’t find that surprising. What’s disappointing about the study is that it doesn’t take mode into account. I don’t think I’m going very far out on a limb to claim that long car commutes can drive you crazy — like what [...]

Posted 23 August 2010 † Andy Cline § news ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: ,

Don’t Laugh, Really, Don’t…

So the Chinese are now driving more than ever. And the results are predictable. China will eventually regret its growing love of the automobile. From the story on the traffic jam: “Insufficient traffic capacity on the National Expressway 110 caused by maintenance construction since August 19 is the major cause of the congestion,” a publicity officer with [...]

Posted 23 August 2010 † Andy Cline § news ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: , , ,

School Begins This Week

Starting Monday morning the streets of Springfield are going to be a lot more crowded around our universities and public schools. Wouldn’t it be nice if people who choose to drive cars marked this as the beginning of a new attitude about the streets? College student? New to Springfield? This is a great place to [...]

Posted 22 August 2010 † Andy Cline § ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: ,

Sign of the Times?

I got a surprise at a local grocery today: I was asked to leave my daypack in the front of the store because people, apparently using packs, have been ripping them off. I do not intend to identify the store in this post because I have not had a chance to speak with the owner [...]

Posted 21 August 2010 † Andy Cline § ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged: , ,

Our Urban Challenge: Make It Awesome

In my last installment of this series I said we’d need to “build it first” in order to attract people downtown (and to the urban core) to shop, play, learn, and live. Today I saw something like this idea in action. We have a new downtown market at the most prominent intersection — Walnut and South [...]

Posted 21 August 2010 † Andy Cline § advocacy § news § policy ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: , , , , ,

Faux Honk Report

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 [...]

Posted 19 August 2010 † Andy Cline § advocacy § news ‡ Comments (3) ° Tagged: , , , , , , ,

School Kids And Barrier Streets

One of the things I liked about graduate school was using critical theory to ask uncomfortable questions about social and cultural artifacts of various sorts. Another way to put it: It was fun learning to be an intellectual pain in the ass. Allow me to demonstrate… Consider this article (part of a series) in today’s [...]

Posted 16 August 2010 † Andy Cline § advocacy § news § policy ‡ Comments (13) ° Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Great Expectations

Every time I head into traffic on my bicycle have both high and low expectations. I have high expectations for how I’ll generally be treated by my fellow road users — especially those driving cars. People hereabouts are very polite. That politeness translates into a high degree of tolerance for road users who are not driving [...]

Posted 12 August 2010 † Andy Cline § bicycle safety ‡ Comments (3) ° Tagged: , , ,

A Dangerous Syllogism

See if you can spot the problem (from montrealgazette.com): A 2003 study published in the Injury Prevention Journal by Peter Lyndon Jacobsen concluded: “A motorist is less likely to collide with a person walking or bicycling if more people walk or bicycle. Policies that increase the numbers of people walking and bicycling appear to be [...]

Posted 11 August 2010 † Andy Cline § advocacy § news § policy ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Crazy Season Has Arrived

The crazy season has begun. Always mark these four weeks on your calendar: The two weeks before classes begin at MSU and the two weeks after classes begin. You’ll also note that all other schools will begin classes at some point during these four weeks. Just crazy. The streets of Springfield are already filling with [...]

Posted 10 August 2010 † Andy Cline § bicycle safety ‡ Comments (4) ° Tagged: , ,