NPR: Portland, Ore., Rides Bikes Around High Gas Prices

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92836910

Portland, Ore., Rides Bikes Around High Gas Prices

by Kathleen Schlach

Audio for this story will be available at approx. 7:00 p.m. ET

All Things Considered, July 23, 2008 · Americans want alternatives to traffic jams and high gas prices. Portland, Oregon, thinks it has found one: convincing residents to commute by bike. Cycling has doubled since 2001. And the city hopes this is just the beginning.

...

[AndyTiedye]

1. Hope They're Got Good Rain Tires

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

2. Love my hometown

despite the fact that our bicycle-friendly reputation has been sullied by at least three violent incidents in just the last two weeks. The first incident was between a cyclist and car-driving bike advocate who decided to chastise the bicyclist for blazing through red lights and stop signs. Unfortunately, the bicyclist (ironically, a Dept. of Transportation employee) was drunk, jumped off his bike and started attacking the man's car (and then the man himself). Also most unfortunately, other bicyclists in the neighborhood came out in droves, blindly sided with the biker, and began menacing the driver and other witnesses who said they saw the biker attack the man. Cops arrived to a near riot in the middle of a busy intersection.

Another involved a cyclist chastising a driver for blazing through his residential area. In this case, the driver was drunk, attempted to hit the biker (who literally jumped on the hood of the car), and then sped off with the biker holding on for dear life (all caught on cell-cam).

All of this (and other incidents) happening in such a short time span has made for a lot of tension on Portland's streets. Personally, being both a bicyclist and a driver, I drive like an old man, and if my caution gets me there a few seconds later than if I had ignored local traffic laws and forgone all consideration of other commuters as people, big fucking deal. Sadly, automobiles (and in the iPod era, bikes) are devices that by their very nature support solipsistic, even sociopathic tendencies. Behind your windshield, you're in your own little universe, and all those others you see out there are just images on a wraparound TV screen.

That being said, Portland is an AWESOME city to bike, and local government has done a great deal to make it an easier and safer alternative.

Ride/Drive safe!

[depakid]

3. Nice- Portland's finally getting national attention

for responsible things that citizens (and government) have been doing for many years.