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Mapping potholes in bike lanes
Plus, Florida bikepacking, the most dangerous roads, and a 1969 bike rally
Sam Westby
December 26, 2024
Welcome to the Bike Bulletin. Steering good news to your inbox every Thursday.
Pro tip: holiday cookies make great mid-ride snacks.
As always, reply directly to this email. I love reading all the thoughtful replies.
—Sam Westby @samcwestby
This is a weekly newsletter about bike trips, urban cycling, and a love for two-wheeled transit. The more time you spend on a bike, the better. I share new editions every Thursday, gearing you up for the ride ahead.
Here’s what we have today.
ROUTE ON MY RADAR
The Huracan 300
Here’s what you’d be getting yourself into:
🐊 Singletrack, swamps, and beautiful Florida nature
📏 3 routes ranging from 330 miles (531 km) to 400 miles (644 km)
⛰️ 10,000 ft (3050 m) of climbing (in Florida?!)
📅 Grand Depart for the race / ride on February 1st
AROUND TOWN
Mapping Potholes in Bike Lanes
A few things annoy me more than parked cars in bike lanes.
Garbage in bike lanes
No bike lanes
Potholes in bike lanes
Every few years, cities audit their pavement. Cars with lidar and cameras drive every street to identify cracks, potholes, faded paint, and everything else. They make a city-wide map and decide on maintenance priorities.
Scanning bike lanes is harder. Car lasers can’t scan separated bike trails. They have to use special e-bikes for scanning or rely on citizen reports. Cities take these reports seriously. It’s called a “311 request” in most major cities. Each request asks for the location, type of problem, and a picture.
It’s also a money thing. More money = fewer problems (sorry Notorious B.I.G.) Bike infrastructure has won big in city budgets, so there’s a good chance your bike lane issues can get fixed. The city just has to know there’s an issue.
Unless it’s a state-owned road - scroll to the “WHAT I’M READING” section to learn more.
BIKE TRIP TIP
Bring a Packable Backpack
Instead of stressing how to shove the four-pack of muffins into my panniers, I whip out a packable backpack. The stress relief at the grocery store is worth half a day with a little weight on my back.
They weigh less than 4 oz (110 grams).
Search “packable backpack” online, or check out some other brands:
Gossamer Gear
Sea-to-Summit
Osprey
My parents got me the Sea-to-Summit one for Christmas.
WHAT I’M WATCHING
The World’s Dumbest Bike Lane Law
Not Just Bikes released a deep dive about Ontario’s new anti-bike infrastructure law. I had to stop watching because it made me too angry.
Toronto residents are protesting the Ontario government overstepping their boundaries. Legal challenges will hopefully delay the removal of 3 Toronto bike lanes.
Watch on YouTube
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Rockport, Massachusetts Bike Rally (1969)
The Charles River Wheelmen organized a bike rally on the North Shore of Massachusetts in 1969. They’re called the Charles River Wheelers now and still organize weekly rides in the Boston area! I’ve been to a few rides and had a good time.
See more at the University of Massachusetts-Boston Archives
WHAT I’M READING
Some streets seem so dumb. “Why isn’t there a crosswalk here?” “Why is the speed limit so high?” “I wish they added a bike lane.”
That might be because the street is owned and managed by the state.
State transportation departments are like the co-worker who never responds to your emails. I can’t do the job without them. I know they read it. But they don’t get paid enough to care.
States own 14% of U.S. urban roads, but those roads account for 66% of traffic deaths.
Sam’s note: this statistic may be misleading. We need traffic volume data. If these roads have 66% of the traffic volume, then we’d expect them to have 66% of traffic deaths.
When an urban street is state-owned, local governments can’t make changes. The state has full control.
State transportation departments might not have the money or time to keep up with small local changes.
Streets like the wide and fast Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia worked well decades ago, but desperately need to be updated.
Using money from the federal government (like from COVID-19 help) and letting cities take control of some roads can help make roads safer for everyone
I have a personal issue with state-owned urban spaces. There’s a state-owned pedestrian bridge in my neighborhood that’s always covered in garbage. Boston can’t do anything about it because they just own either side of the bridge, but not the bridge itself. The only way to have a clean bridge is to clean it myself.
Read on Vox
1,500. The number of $2000 e-bike vouchers recently given out in a California pilot program. Over 100,000 people tried waiting in the queue. (Streetsblog CA)
30,000. The number of new bicycle parking spots wanted by the Barcelona city council. They currently have 40,000 (Cities Today)
800. The number of cargo bike parking spaces expected for the residents of Copenhagen (kosmopol)
$330,000. The amount of Oregon state mini-grants awarded to get people in underserved communities on bikes. (Bike Portland)
47%. The reduction in death rate for people who regularly bike commute - compared to every other form of transit. (Momentum)
31. The number of bikes donated after an Arlington, Texas student bake sale. (Arlington Report)
A Note From Sam
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