Reporting Google Maps bike issues
Regarding reporting Google Maps bike issues…do it! Google has been incredibly receptive to hear from the biking public on it’s new bike routing feature of Google Maps. I’ve so far submitted about 10 different problem reports (mostly missing bike routes from the map) and they have got back to me on nearly all of them informing me that the change will be made with this e-mail:
Hi Dan,
Your Google Maps problem report has been reviewed, and you were right! We’ll update the map soon and email you when you can see the change.–
Thanks for your help,
The Google Maps team
My favorite part: “you were right!”. Leave it to Google to make you feel warm and fuzzy.
So go ahead, take a look at your city’s bike map on Google Maps and send in those corrections. You can do so by clicking the “Report a problem” link at the bottom right of the screen.
23.Mar.10 
School bans students from walking & riding
Madness, pure madness.
Though Janette Marino and her son, Adam, were warned prior to the first day of school, they rode in defiance anyway only to be greeted by an unhappy group of school administrators and a state trooper.
The school cited dangerous road conditions on Route 9, which leads to the school, as a primary reason for the policy, even though the road in question is currently designated as an official "bike route."
Janette made it clear that her son feels "pretty strongly" about biking to school. She explains, "I think it’s my parental right to transport my child to school in the way I deem is appropriate. I think the district is usurping its authority by telling me that I can’t."
Source: Mom and son face off with the law for biking to school
Full article: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/09/14/news/doc4aada71020507442523775.txt
How many folding bikes fit in one car space?
But of course, the answer to life, the universe and everything, 42. Fourty two Brompton folding bikes fit into one car parking space. The more you know huh
Source: Boing Boing
Suck it Rob Anderson – SF Bike Plan approved after 3 years!
Pizza delivery by bike
It was always a thought, “why not deliver pizza by bike?”, but I guess finally someone got around to trying it out 
The Naperville, FL pizza joint is saying it’s just a “promotion” for Bike Month but with the $3 delivery charge they’re waiving for bike deliveries, seems like their customers would want to see the concept stick around! Intrepid bike pizza delivery guy has a Surly Big Dummy to do the job, a bike I love but admittedly the article seems to allude that to haul the enormous load of a pizza or two you need a $2000 XtraCycle equipped cargo bike, hmm.
Article: Pizza’s here – by bicycle delivery and found via CICLE
“Cookie Lady” recognized for her service to cyclists
June Curry, 87, locally known as the “Cookie Lady”, has been a staple attraction and stop along Virginia’s Bike 76 route and has offered cyclists freshly baked cookies and a place to stay (hostel) for over 30 years! The Richmond Area Bicycling Association awarded her with a well deserved check consisting of donations from cyclists showing their appreciation.
We definitely need more cookie ladies on this earth 
Source: Afton Cookie Lady Receives Gift From RABA
More: Richmond bike club pays back Virginia’s “Cookie Lady”
Great commercial, wow
Gotta say, pretty surprised such a great pro city-biking commercial could have been made. Beautiful functional city bike, people utilizing their bike for function and cargo, people having FUN on a bike, perfect. Thanks Kaiser for this pro bike spot
I like this commercial so much I’m willing to glance over the sidewalk and wrong way riding
Schools move to eject cars from campuses
Bikes on California Ave, UC Davis, originally uploaded by amsthirty.
Here’s a USA Today article citing some examples of high schools and universities looking to deter students from bringing cars to campus through various changes and incentive programs. The crown jewel example is Ripon College’s precedent setting program where they’ve agreed to offer incoming freshmen a brand new Trek mountain bike in exchange for not bringing a car to campus; pretty sweet deal if you ask me. What I find interesting about this type of incentive program is that the school may actually save money by giving each student a $300 bike; get everyone to ditch their car and you won’t have to build new parking lots/structures. I know at my local university one single parking space comes at the cost of $11,000…ELEVEN THOUSAND!
Other programs listed to discourage car usage and/or encourage bicycle usage are on campus bicycle shops, loaner bikes (ie bike library), more bike racks on campus, pathways and more.
Check out the full article: Schools move to eject cars from campuses – USA Today
The Dane’s know bike advocacy
Haha, absolutely brilliant! People like myself often wonder “what can we do to really encourage people to accept bikes into their lives?”. Well here’s a smart ad that hopefully does just that.
Here is the translation:
Lady: Would you like some tea?
Man: Yes, that would be lovely, thanks.
Telltale noises from the other side of the wall.
Lady [muttering under her breath]: You should rather be biking, too, Rezso.
This comes way of one of my favorite blogs, Copenhagenize
Even The Economist is on board with bikes
The Economist magazine has written a print article taking notice to the rise in bicycling’s popularity as fuel prices have hit their record highs. The article also makes mention of recent altercations; one at Critical Mass in NYC and one in Portland.
“After years of federal and local spending on bike routes and other amenities, most cities are ready to handle more cyclists. But many motorists simply don’t see their two-wheeled brethren or, when they do, find them aggravating. Managing more cyclists is going to take more than new bike paths or fresh stripes on the roads. It looks as though there is a need, on both sides, for a revolution in manners.“
To the point, we may be seeing an increase in the desirabilityof riding a bike for transportation but we still have not overcome the problems of motorist interaction.
Read the article here. The Economist – Bicycles, Bumpy Roads
