Zero Cyclist Fatalities in Seattle

Welcome to the Bike Bulletin, pedaling cycling news into your Thursday.

—Sam Westby @samcwestby

Here’s what we have today.

• 🌍 RIDE: Door County, Wisconsin

• 🎥 WATCH: A Sunday in Hell (1976)

• 📖 READ: Zero 2024 cyclist deaths in Seattle

• 📖 READ: DOT cutting bike infrastructure funding

• 📰 NEWS: New bike lanes, e-bike credits, and infrastructure reviews

RIDE ON MY RADAR

Door County, Wisconsin

I haven’t ridden my bike in Door County since I was 10. My family did a 4-day bike tour there in 2007, going about 20 miles per day. I’m sure I was suffering, but my strongest memory was a loooong downhill ending at Wilson’s Ice Cream in the town of Ephraim.

The “thumb” of Wisconsin is a midwest summer staple. Ice cream, dense forests, Lake Michigan on both sides, and a ferry ride to the car-free Washington Island.

People For Bikes rated Washington Island as the most cyclist-friendly city in the U.S!

In Door County:

• Camping at the many state parks (Peninsula, Newport, Rock Island)

• Ride the Lake Michigan coast

• Hundreds of miles of safe roads

Here are two day-trip routes to get you started:

• https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39167176 (58 miles, 93 kilometers)

• https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48646970 (38 miles, 61 kilometers)

WHAT I’M WATCHING

A Sunday in Hell (1976)

This is one of the greatest cycling documentaries to ever exist. Director Jørgen Leth captures the life of a cyclist competing in the 1976 Paris-Roubaix bicycle race.

Here’s what you’ll get:

• Behind the scenes of pro-racing

• Intense rivalry

• Brutal cobblestone

• Multiple crashes

• A good ol’ fashioned no-nonsense documentary.

Watch for free on YouTube

WHAT I’M READING

Here’s the news:

• Auto-related deaths: up

• Motorcycle-related deaths: up

• Pedestrian deaths: down

• Cyclists deaths: ZERO

Zero cyclist deaths in a major city seems like a pipe dream, but Seattle’s done it. This is a huge win for cyclists and shows that Vision Zero can work.

Read the full article on Seattle Bike Blog.

WHAT I’M READING #2

I try to keep the doom and gloom out of this newsletter, but I wanted to share this.

The Trump DOT has been instructed to review all grants that include bike lanes, climate-focused projects, active transportation, and electric vehicles. Any grants that don’t align with the administration’s priorities will be ordered to halt.

This doesn’t make sense to me one bit. Hopefully, a judge will block this order like they blocked the cuts to the National Institutes of Health.

But remember, these headlines are the most shocking and worst-case scenarios. What happens will likely be much less severe.

In any case, it is a step back for cycling. We can be patient and take another two steps forward tomorrow.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Me and the homies (1887)

By L. Prang & Co. (1887)

Found on the History of the Bicycle Wikipedia page.

• 30-day review. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is reviewing all street infrastructure changes from the last three years. This appears to be related to her re-election campaign. (Streetsblog)

• 10%. The percent of San Francisco streets that will be in the bike lane network by 2045. (The Examiner)

• 0 deaths. Seattle had zero cycling deaths in 2024!! (Seattle Bike Blog)

• Albuquerque, New Mexico. A new bike lane was recently completed in downtown ABQ. This is an early step of many to raise their 32/100 P4B cycling rating. (KOAT)

• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The city council approved three new bike lanes on March 6th. (Philly Voice)

• $2000. California’s San Gabriel Valley residents can now apply for a $2000 voucher for e-cargo bikes. (LAist)

A Note From Sam

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