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 Seattle P-I tossed out a weird bicycling story that broached the idea of bicycle registration or licensing after "some" began talking about it when Seattle endorsed the $240 million, 10-year bicycle plan.

The story was followed up the next day by an editorial opposing such licensing.

It's an attention grabber, especially for cyclists, but where's the groundswell for the licensing move? Just one person is quoted in the P-I story, a letter-to-the-editor writer, so I guess this isn't something on anybody's short list.

The premise of the story is based on the widespread incorrect assumption that bicyclists don't pay their fare share for the roads they use...   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 »

---- Bloggers: Check below ----

The Cascade Bicycle Club is raising money for flood relief for Seattle-to-Portland bike-route cities of Centralia and Chehalis. Flood damage could top $1 billion in the wake of the devastating floods that swept through Lewis County cities last week.

In a plea for donations, CBC executive director Chuck Ayers wrote:  

"We rely on the hospitality of these communities to house, feed and support thousands of riders year after year. Clearly, these communities help make STP one of our most popular events."

Cascade is pledging $2,500 in matching funds for flood relief through the Centralia United Way. You can donate online now, or send it to:

United Way of Lewis County, attn: CBC Flood Relief, 450 NW Pacific Avenue, Chehalis, WA 98532.

Note to bloggers: I'll donate $5 to the CBC flood relief for each of the first 20 bloggers who put a link to this post, and mention STP and flood relief, on their blog by noon (PST) Wednesday. Please leave a comment or send me an email that you've done so; I'll also check Technorati ...   more »

Joe Kurmaskie isn't exactly the poet laureate of bicycle tourists; he's more like the comic laureate.

I caught Kurmaskie's very entertaining talk at the Seattle Bike Expo, and I'm happy to see he's returning for another Metal Cowboy Holiday Spectacular at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11 at the downtown Seattle REI. (Cascade Bicycle Club members, 2 for $5; nonmembers $5.)

Kurmaskie's a funny guy. He spends many days every year bicycle touring, often with his family. If you're not familiar with the Portland bicyclist, here's an excerpt from a quiz he sent out earlier this year entitled: "Are You Addicted to Cycling?" ...   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 »

(See the Update below) The Seattle papers are full of controversy about plans to convert the 42-mile BNSF railroad tracks between Renton and Snohomish into a bicycle trail. Is anyone surprised?

The county executive for King County said he wouldn't fund construction of a trail on the right-of-way if the tracks aren't torn up.

Some, like the Cascadia Center at Discovery Institute, say the tracks should be left in place to upgrade the north-south corridor for passenger rail service. The freight line tracks, still in occasional use, run right along highly congested I-405 ....   more »