Oregon will begin issuing "Share the Road" license plates beginning Jan. 2 for your other set of wheels. They're another reminder for other motorists that bicycles have a right to the road.

Proceeds from the sale of the special plates will be distributed to to cycling-related causes by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and the Cycle Oregon Fund. They cost an additional $10 at time of issuance and can be ordered through the DMV.

In other Oregon bicycling news, the Wall Street Journal wrote about US Rep. Earl Blumenauer in Saturday's edition. Here in the Northwest, we all know about Blumenauer and his many good efforts on behalf of bicyclists. It's good to see him get wider recognition in a national publication ...   more »

The man accused this week of killing a 13-year-old bicyclist in a hit-and-run collision in Massachusetts was typing a text message on his cellphone when he lost control of his SUV.

Prosecutors say the 31-year-old man thought he had struck a mailbox in the 12:30 a.m. collision. The boy, Earman Machado, was riding at the edge of the road while his friend walked on the soft shoulder.

The frequency of such accidents have prompted legislatures in New Jersey and Washington to prohibit text-messaginig while driving as of next year. It's amazing that people need laws to prohibit them from doing something so obviously distracting as text-messaging while behind the wheel. ...   more »

The government of New Ireland should be nominated for becoming the most "bicycle friendly community" on Earth.

The province on an island northeast of Papua New Guinea has set aside the equivalent of $67,800 to pay half the cost of bicycles purchased from local stores.

Finally, some elected officials have finally heard the twofold message that bicycle advocates have been preaching for years: Bicycling makes people healthier, and bike use reduces the costs of maintaining roads ...   more »

Bicyclists are showing their love for Ed McLaughlin, a bicycling advocate and longtime cycling coordinator for the Chico Velo bicycle club in Chico, California.

McLaughlin was injured in a bicycling accident on Friday, Dec. 21, when he was riding with a group on a bike path and struck a small pole meant to restrict motor vehicles.

More than 200 supporters showed up Monday evening, Christmas Eve, for a "healing celebration" at the downtown plaza park. I think it's great that so many who benefited from his efforts came out to show their support ...   more »

That much ballyhooed "landmark energy bill" that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush last week didn't include a component that was in earlier versions -- the bicycle commuter tax break.

Sorry bike commuters. A lump of coal in your stocking again this year.

The fringe benefit that would have enabled employers to give you a $20/month stipend for riding your bicycles to work was deflated by Senate Republicans. They threatened to filibuster at the last minute if the renewable energy and energy efficiency tax package made it into HR 6, the final energy bill.

That energy tax package included provisions that would have benefited bicycle commuters and wind and solar power producers. It also would have closed the so-called Hummer tax break loophole and reduced tax breaks for oil and gas companies. Small wonder it didn't make it ...   more »

Stuck for a last-minute gift for a fellow bicycling enthusiast? Socks are always nice, but you can only have so many pairs of gloves, rear blinkers and water bottles.

My recommendation is that people give memberships to national bicycling associations or local bicycle clubs this year. These are the folks who do all the heavy lifting when it comes to creating bike routes, building trails or advocating on our part in the halls of Congress or down at City Hall.

And since most have a nonprofit status, a portion of those memberships are tax deductible; always a consideration at the end of the year.

Here are what I'd consider the four best memberships you could give ...   more »

Police in Edmonton, Canada, aren't giving up on a bicycle fatality, even though the case is 22 years old.

The mother of the 16-year-old hit-and-run victim and police are making another plea for information in the death of Robert Phillips. At a police department press conference, the boy's mother, Donna Nelson, said:

"I'm hoping for a miracle. Maybe somebody's carrying some guilt around that would like to deal with that. That's the only thing that's going to motivate a reaction." ...   more »

Thanks to everyone who took up my link challenge to raise money for the flood victims along the route of the 200-mile Seattle-to-Portland bike ride.

I pledged to donate $5 for every blog that linked to a story I did about the Cascade Bicycle Club's flood relief drive for residents of Chehalis, Centralia and surrounding Lewis County. With 11 links, the grand total was $55. With a surprise matching grant from Ms. BikingBis, that's $110. (Overall, the flood relief drive has raised $23,500 as of  Thursday morning.)

The first link came from UltraRob's Adventures. Rob Lucas is an ultracyclist, whose accomplishments include competing in the RAAM.

That was quickly followed by the omnipresent Cyclelicious, who has posted, among other things, a cool widget that computes how much the US spent this year on imported fossil fuels.

Another favorite, The Cycling Dude, also posted a link with some nice sentiments. Check for this Southern California-based blogger's upcoming ride report on a 90-mile bike route.

James at Bicycle Design usually writes insightful posts about innovations in bicycle form and function, but he took time to link to my fund-raising efforts for flood victims on the opposite coast.

The Twin Rivers Cyclists blog/website linked to the story. Based in Lewiston, Idaho, the website is a good place to stop for maps or local cycling events when you visit the Lewiston, Clarkston, Moscow (University of Idaho) and Pullman (Washington State University) area.

Howard at the Why Howard Laughed bicycling/architecture blog also filed a link. If you want to see Howard in action on his ice bike, including an amusing pratfall, check out this 3-minute video at Ice Bike, the Sequel (the fall comes about halfway through).

And, although it's not technically a blog, I'm counting the link from BikeForums about the STP fund-raiser. I'm also counting prominent mention among "Top Blog Posts on Cycling" at the Biking Circle social ranking website.

Just to make it hurt a little more, I also included links from some sources that probably didn't realize they had links. Websites that carry my feeds, therefore posted links, include BlogNetNews/Cycling, Mobius Cycle - a full service bike shop in Seattle, and the Harrisburg (PA) Bicycle Club.

A downtown correspondent filed these pictures from the Taming the S.L.U.T. bicycle protest in Seattle earlier Wednesday evening.

An estimated 40 to 60 bicyclists showed up for the ride, with plenty of police on hand. The bicyclists say the city hasn't done enough, in fact has done very little, to ensure that the tracks for the new South Lake Union Trolley (SLUT) are safe for cyclists.

The tracks for the SLUT, which began operation earlier Wednesday, run along the curb lanes where bicyclists are supposed to ride under city regulation (as far right as possible). The gaps in the track catch bicycle tires, causing cyclists to fall to the ground or into traffic or parked cars. ...   more »

The mother and best friend of bicyclist Bryce Lewis, killed in a collision with a dump truck in Seattle, are suing the driver and truck owner.

Lewis, 19, died instantly when a dump truck made a right turn in front of him and his friend, Caleb Hall, 20, as they headed north on Eastlake Avenue East in September. They were dragged for 25 feet before bystanders freed them.

While the fatality sparked condemnation of motorists who make right turns without checking for cyclists in bike lanes, it also highlighted the poor traffic design that enables traffic to turn right in front of bicycle lanes that are carrying through-traffic...   more »

30-second PSA spot that Nobel Prize winner Al Gore would like

Here's a 30-second public service announcement prepared by the Chico Velo Cycling Club that's been running on TV in that area.

It's a simple message with two good reasons to ride your bike and a good reason not to use your car.

The very active Chico club is located about 90 miles north of Sacramento, close to the foothills around Mt. Lassen. It sponsors seven century bike rides, including the Chico Velo Wildflower Century, scheduled April 27, 2008.

The Bellevue (Washington) Transportation Commission is preparing to meet next year to discuss the project list for the Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan.

Meanwhile, residents can leave comments directly on separate bicycle, pedestrian and trail plan maps.

The interactive online map (an example above) for bicycling projects shows overlays for the bike paths, bike lanes, and on-street bike routes. By clicking on a symbol, the user can see details about the project's location leave a comment ...   more »

Paul Soglin responded in the Wisconsin State Journal to the negative reaction to his blog that said that people riding their bikes in a recent Madison snowstorm should be "taken out and shot."

"Some people have no sense of humor," he said.

I'm one of those who missed the joke. My bad. Let's see what makes his comment so darn funny .....   more »

Seattle bicycle riders have no desire for more streetcar tracks in the curb lanes where they ride.

The newly laid tracks of a streetcar line along Westlake Avenue linking Westlake Center to the Hutch Cancer Center have caused numerous accidents already when bike tires get stuck in the groove, causing the rider to loose balance and fall.

Seattle Likes Bikes has scheduled a bicycling protest starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Denny Park to call attention to the problem and get the city to install warning signs and to paint sharrows in lanes where bicyclists must ride now that they can't use the curb lanes...   more »

Back in 1991, Bicycling magazine named Pittsburgh, PA, one of the nation's worst cities for bicyclists. The city is working hard to shrug that label off its steely shoulders.

Just last week, the city reopened the Hot Metal Bridge for biking and hiking after the completion of a $11.6 million project that was begun in 2003. The 1,052-foot long steel bridge spans the Monongahela River.

The project is a critical link as the city races to complete its end of the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) bike trail in time for the celebration of its 250th anniversary in 2008. The bridge connects the Three Rivers Heritage Trail with the Eliza Furnace Trail.   more »