Posts Tagged ‘cool kids bike’
present day thinking »
Monday, May 7th, 2012
Most days, I ride a bike over a hundred potholes, through half a dozen poorly designed intersections, and under a few thousand feet of raised track that looks as if it could fail at any moment. It’s sort of great but also sort of sad.
It’s clear our transit system is a disaster. But not because we cater to cars, don’t plan complete streets, or even that our maintenance lags desperately behind deterioration.
When we connected the cross-country rail lines, creating incredibly oppressive monopolies, trains were a big deal many couldn’t afford. When we created a nation-wide network of paved roads, displacing millions of poor people, cars were all the rage, if you could afford one. Both projects created Rome-in-a-day social and economic gains after substantial upfront costs. (more…)
when not to infographic »
Friday, March 23rd, 2012
First, let me start with a small lie and tell you with the utmost facetious honesty, I’m not an infographic snob. Sure, I can generally throw a Gestalt together; that’s irrelevant.
Have a look at this graphic and, within a few seconds, think of what it’s trying to tell you. Have a pretty good idea? Now on to it. (more…)
two thousand twelve, a year in review »
Friday, January 6th, 2012
Prospectus for twenty twelve? In a word: terrifying. However, who can really sum things up in a word?
Sure, there’s the anxiety associated with owning a residence, or horrific and joyous events, or, obviously, the realization of a prophecy from a long-dead culture woefully ignorant of religious and macroeconomic tendencies. (Whoever forgot to mention “The White Man” should be downsized, amiright?)
Any of those would send a goth up into a tree for days. (more…)
my interesting day on a bike »
Tuesday, June 14th, 2011
Saturday, I was tasked with going into work for testing of our new release.* Having spent the winter on trains and holed up in our apartment, I’ve been trying to get back to regular cycling. Conditions were good, so I gave it a go.
First, there were the crowds. According to some research after the fact, I ran smack into Ragnar. I swerved my way gently and attentively through the crowd. It was a total mess.
Organizers failed to mask off any area for other path users. Sure, it’s nine in the morning on a Saturday and who can be bothered to recreation at such an hour, but still. Not two feet for a bike, a jogger, or two? (more…)
some dude’s transit plan »
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
I should have no influence in whom you vote for. In fact, most of you aren’t even in Chicago, so it won’t matter, right? Anyway, Rahm Emanuel recently released his transportation plans and it’s notable for a couple reasons.
First, because it’s amazing that anyone is putting any attention toward alternative forms of transportation. The Republicans are complete idiots on this. With the recent bailouts, cars are now patriotic—trains (or, shudder, bikes) are not.
It’s a bold move but the second reason is even broader. The parts specific to biking are sort of awesome. (more…)