The Monday Roundup: GM’s e-bike, no helmet needed, make driving dangerous again, and more

Today’s Monday Roundup is sponsored by Greenfield Health who invites you to an Open House at their Lloyd clinic (700 NE Multnomah) this Wednesday November 7th.

Here are the most notable stories we came across in the past week…

Walmart-ville: In a fascinating turn of events, U.S. mega-retailer Walmart now wants to turn its massive parking lots into “town centers” — so they can re-create the vibe that used to exist before Walmart opened in the first place.

No helmet for me: A respected cycling writer explains why he no longer wears a helmet; but only after his editor is so worried about it being controversial he feels obligated to post a disclaimer at the top of the post.

GM in e-bike business: General Motors sees the writing on the wall and is placing a small bet on an electric, foldable electric bike.

Influential pedalers: The Guardian published a list of people who belong in the Everyday Cycling Hall of Fame. I’m not a fan on lists like this in general; but it’s nice to see transportation — and not just sports — heroes get attention.

Make Driving Dangerous Again: In his latest creative take on traffic culture, Bike Snob says our streets would have far fewer absurdly-sized SUVs and will be much safer overall if we make driving more dangerous.

Car dependency: The BBC has just now discovered the fatal flaw of sprawl and car-oriented suburbs.

Uber with a hint of Lime: Lime, one of three companies involved in Portland’s e-scooter pilot program, just became even more Uber-like by hiring the ride-hailing giant’s former business chief.

Negative ads: In 2018 it should be unacceptable for any company to promote a service with the intention of creating more car trips in an urban area.

California’s great trail: Golden State lawmakers have passed a bill to start planning a 300-mile trail along an abandoned railroad line that would connect San Francisco to Humboldt.

USA Cycling Q & A: The leader of USA Cycling is moving on and in an exit interview with VeloNews he said one of the biggest challenges the org faces is how to stem the steady decline in race participation.

More inclusive: “Upstream the dialogue,” from communities of color and make streets safer to use are just a few of the ideas from a panel discussion on expanding cycling held as part the kickoff of a bicycle exhibit at the Design Museum of Chicago.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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