There’s no escaping psychology And since the first human-like creature used the first tool there’s been no escaping the fact that our tools change us. Not just help us. Change us. So I was interested to read What Drivers Really Thing About Bikers: The History And Psychology of Sharing the Road in Good. Two things: [...]
The Let’s Go Smart initiative is live — we’re livin’ it! This new campaign by the STAR Team of Ozark Greenways is a multi-modal concept aimed at encouraging people to think about their transportation choices. This is more than bike-ped advocacy. We’ve re-designed and upgraded the former Drive Less, Live More booklet. It’s now called Bike [...]
Check out the cover picture of the new edition of Effective Cycling. What in the heck is that person doing? Are those parked cars on her left? Why is she on the line? Why isn’t she commanding her lane? Is that the image of modern urban bicycling? Why are her feet strapped into pedals in [...]
I often walk to work on Tuesdays and Thursdays because I do not head downtown first on those days. Plus, I like to mix it up. Walking home yesterday — all of 3/4 mile — I saw five separate incidents of people being silly on the streets. Upon seeing the first one, I thought: Oh, [...]
I’m lucky to live in the Midwest because my natural way of being fits the general (stereotypical?) ethos. I grew up on the East Coast, but I left there pretty much knowing I would end up in the Midwest. I’m not making any claims against other regions of the country. I was lucky today, on this [...]
Next week the STAR Team kicks off a new campaign for alternative transportation. I’ll have more specifics as we get close to the main event: Who: Joe Kurmaskie, The Metal Cowboy What: A public talk about bicycling When: 19 April at 7:00 p.m. Where: City Utilities Auditorium, 301 E. Central Click here for the official [...]
How did Springfield not make this list of America’s top 10 bicycling cities? Here’s what we have going for us: Largely flat terrain: Getting around town is not a struggle physically. Grid street system: You have choices getting from point A to point B, including long stretches of quiet, residential streets. Marked bicycle routes: Traffic [...]
Warning: This post may piss you off. Good. Can you spot the problem(s)? I’m torn. On the one hand, I am a supporter of everyone enjoying bicycling in all of its many forms. Get out there and have fun! But… This video represents more than simply the predictable results of running a stop sign. This [...]
Last year I reported here, based on a conversation at a STAR Team meeting, that the city was uninterested in painting more bicycle lanes. With the creation of new lanes on Division and Benton and the discussion at night’s STAR Team meeting, it has became clear to me that painting more bicycle lanes is in [...]
Keri Caffrey, of Commute Orlando and CyclingSavvy, has updated her excellent video Bicycling in Traffic is a Dance You Must Lead. Something to note: You are NOT watching “hardened” cyclists or “road warriors” or “adrenaline junkies” who brave the dangers of traffic. Bicycling in traffic is safe (compared to a lot of other dangerous things [...]
What ought to be the order of courtesy in traffic between car drivers and bicycle drivers? I think the best way to approach this question is to check what the law and common understandings of the traffic system call for. First among these is the order of right-of-way (304.351. 1. Right of Way). In general, the [...]
James D. Schwartz has an interesting post from earlier this spring about the cost of owning a car in terms of your time at work. The reality isn’t pretty: Motorists works 2 hours each day to pay for a car. Bicyclists work 3.8 minutes each day to pay for their bicycles. (Obviously the costs are [...]
Take a look at this bicycle I saw at the tennis courts today. Hmmmmm… Technorati Tags: bicycle culture, cycling
In no particular order of importance: Beware Springfield! There are outlaw nuns on the loose! Had a car full of them run the 4-way stop at Cherry and Hammons right in front of me this morning. What traffic laws would Mother Teresa ignore? STAR Team member Rick Scarlet and I are working on holding a [...]
This evening is my daughter’s first day at her first job. If you see her downtown, be sure to get a ride. And pay her lots of money for it Technorati Tags: bicycle culture, cycling
