Bike Talk - A radio show dedicated to the idea that for public and planetary health we need to prioritize public transportation by bikes

Latest Episode

Kids and Bikes

November 15, 2024

Bike News:
Cop29 cop-outs, solace in U.S. local elections for biking, China’s huge bikeshare rides, and in Oregon, a cyclist was charged for a ride to the hospital by the ambulance that hit him.
2:19

The Northampton Cycle-Smart Cyclocross race broke from the Union Cycliste Internationale for its exclusion of trans women riders in 2023, but the race goes on; the 33rd annual Northampton, Massachusetts Cyclocross race was November 8-10. Miles Abrams, 11, came in 4th in his category. He and his mom, Lisa, talk about cyclocross and what bike sport means to them.
7:34

BYCS Bicycle Mayor Network comprises civil society leaders representing 145 cities in 40 countries. Amanda Padilla, Bike Mayor of Quito, Ecuador, uses “cycling games” to focus on kids.
18:51

Atlanta’s Bike Buses are gaining riders. Andrew Francis tells the story of his popular weekly school rides.
30:18

The University of California at Santa Barbara has been declared a “platinum level” bike friendly university several times by the League of American Bicyclists. Stacey Randecker talks to students about how their experience compares to transportation back home, and how it will impact their life choices after graduation.
44:12

Stacey’s Bike Thought.
54:13

bikebus, bikecampus, BikeMayor, cyclocross, kids, networks, ucsb
Autocrats against bikes, bike lanes and safe streets in the USA and Canada

November 8, 2024

In the election bummer, some local winners for safe streets: new Congressmember Laura Friedman, Alameda Supervisor John Bauters, and West Hollywood Mayor John Erickson.

Listener Kevin Grishkot asks whether, if cars were no longer available, we would require people to license their bicycles. Bike Talk’s lawyer, Jim Pocrass, explains why it’s not a very good idea.
3:18

News:
Ontario Premier threatens Toronto’s popular and data proven bike lanes.

Paris closes 2 miles of its city center to through traffic.

Bike-friendly Minneapolis makes the top tier of the 2024 “Happy City Index.”

Denver activists form a people protected bike lane to respond when the city cancels 1/2 mile of protected bike lane.
10:56

Robin Richardson, Toronto mom, family/cargo biker, and organizer of the bike lane on “the world’s longest street” defends Toronto’s bike lanes from a right wing populist Premier.
17:11

Emily Lipstein, StreetsblogNYC journalist, bike commuter, and Queens native, tells the story of a recent DOT greenway workshop thrown into chaos by MAGA NYC Councilmember Vicky Paladino.
37:02

Stacey’s Bike Thought
55:30

bikelash, greenway, MAGA, Minneapolis, paris, queens, Toronto
Bikes and Politics in Glendale, West Hollywood, Ann Arbor and NYC

November 1, 2024

News from the front lanes:

LA’s Traffic Nightmare, a NHTSA requirement for DUI detectors in cars, a measure to keep San Francisco’s Great Highway car free, and the 125th anniversary of the first car killing.

A Glendale candidate for Congress demonizes his Democratic opponent, Laura Friedman, as “The Bike Lane Lady.” Alex Belekian says if we want bike lanes we should build new cities for them.
4:15

Ann Arbor’s Mayor, Christopher Taylor, is as bike friendly as his city.
18:36

NYC’s “City of Yes” initiative proposes doing away with parking mandates; MAGA NYC Councilmember Vicky Paladino lashes out at Open Plans NYC Director of Advocacy & Organizing Jackson Chabot for being born outside NYC, and concludes “we need our cars.” Open Plans Co-Executive Director Sara Lind calmly dissects the carbrained reaction.
35:06

Bike lane protesters and counter protesters converge on Fountain Avenue in West Hollywood. Streetsblog LA Editor Joe Linton explains the conflict.
42:24

Stacey’s Bike Thought.
57:14

antibikes, bikelanes, biketowns, carbrain, noparking
The Power Broker, Intelligent Speed Assistance, Gravel Riding

October 25, 2024

Taylor finally finishes the epic tome on highway tycoon Robert Moses, The Power Broker, by Robert Caro, and talks to author/transportation activist Charles Komanoff about it.

1:14

A bill to require cars in California to alert drivers when they exceed speed limits by more than 10 mph was vetoed by the Governor. Jodie Medeiros, Executive Director of Walk SF, one of the bill’s sponsors, speaks about the disappointment.

33:11

Taylor talks gravel with Zachary Rynew, the creator of Gravel Bike California.

42:55

Stacey’s Bike Thought

54:40

carcentric, gravel, intelligentspeed, robertmoses
The Bike Lane Lady, Ebikes and Ebikelash, and Cycling Over 50

October 18, 2024

A Glendale Congressional candidate makes bike lane support his big grievance against Chair of the California Assembly Transportation Committee Laura Friedman in her run for Congress.
1:15

The categories of ebike and why they matter, explained by our sponsor Jim Pocrass.
7:10

Ebikelash in NYC is taking off due to the prevalence of food delivery workers who ride fast. Bills would require all e-bike riders to have license and registration and ban ebikes in parks. Transportation Alternatives Communications Director Alexa Sledge explains.
19:50

Ebiking is good in the European Union, according to European Cyclists’ Federation CEO Jill Warren.
31:27

A survey of people over 50 who bike by Carol Kachadoorian and a talk about biking and aging with Rob Kadota, City of Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee Chair, and Kent Strumpell, LABAC Representative for District 11.
40:05

Stacey’s Bike Thought
54:46

bikelash, culturewar, ebikes, seniorbiking
Week Without Driving, WeHo Bike Mayor, Idaho Stop Rationale, Coffeeneuring

October 11, 2024

Week Without Driving was September 30th – October 6th, 2024. Here’s a view of how it went by its creator Anna Zivarts, Author of “When Driving is Not an Option” and Director of Disability Mobility Initiative at Disability Rights Washington, and Ruth Rosas, Program Manager at America Walks.
2:02

US businesses ranked by their Bicycle Friendliness, from The League of American Bicyclists. With Amelia Neptune.
11:08

West Hollywood’s Bike Mayor, John Erickson, on making his city bike friendlier.
19:53

Science backs the benefits of the stop-as-yield law for bicyclists, according to Professor David Hurwitz of Oregon State University. With Charlie Leighthauser.
36:40

Stacey’s Bike Thought
54:27

bikecity, carfree, idahostop
Better Cities Films, Greenway Takeaway, This is Your Bike On Plants

October 4, 2024

The Better Cities Film Festival is all about bikes and dads, Director Josh Paget says. Also Transportation, Housing, Urban design, Environment, Community, and Technology.
5:12

It took a long time and a lot of community meetings to get the Dickens bike/ped greenway in Chicago, but a few NIMBYs were able to get it taken out without much process. We have Streetsblog Chicago Editor John Greenfield, Bike Grid Now organizer Rony Islam, and bike mom/activist Molly Lamping Fleck.
22:55

Elly Blue and Microcosm Publishing in Portland, OR, has a new anthology out: “This is your bike on plants.”
41:13

Stacey’s Bike Thought
56:55

bikebooks, bikefilms, bikelash, feministbicyclesciencefiction, greenway, NIMBYs
Freak Bikes, Traffic Violence, NHTSA’s Golden Rule, Milwaukee, Picture Main Street

September 27, 2024

Freak Bikes the Movie, about LA Bike Kitchen founder Jimmy Lizama and his son on a bike tour of the European bike cities, screened in the Better Cities Film Festival in Detroit. Filmmaker Ryan Mekenian talks about his inspiration with Reo Ramsey, our Detroit correspondent and social ride leader who connects the movie to his bond over bikes with his own father.

Bike Lawyer James Pocrass talks with us about the reasons for America’s high traffic fatality and injury rates. Turns out it’s unsafe speed, unserious enforcement, and unhelpful road design.

Milwaukee car violence victim and Critical Mass rider Cade Gerlach speaks to whether the driver who sent him to the hospital hit him accidentally or by design.

Strong Towns Northampton members Benjamin Spencer and Alex Bowman on their walking tour of “Picture Main Street” improvements. The tour was in part meant to allay the low information bikelash against planned street improvements for people outside of cars.

angledparking, bikelash, bikemovie, NHTSA, pedestriansafety, strongtowns
Local Motion, Bike Bills, Hockey Stars, CicLAmini, Monster Trucks and a New World Record

September 20, 2024

Taylor recaps his ride to Dodger Stadium.

Val Cyr, Local Motion’s Communications Specialist, on Vermont’s great biking.

Bike friendly bills are waiting on California Governor Newsom’s desk, reports California Bike Coalition’s Policy Director Jared Sanchez.

America’s Bike Mayor John Bauters on his run and riding for Alameda County Supervisor.

Listener Emails: Tim Riley on giving up his cars because of Bike Talk, and this video about motornormativity. Annie Pruitt on putting this link on our website.

Consumer Reports writer Keith Barry on his article about how Pickups are getting larger and becoming a hazard to pedestrians, smaller vehicles, and bike riders.

Stacey’s Bike Thought.

bikeferry, gaudreau, mixedrace, worldbike
Stop Victim Blaming (repost)

September 13, 2024

In this repost from March of 2024, Eddie Vargas, Grub Hub bike delivery worker, loads up groceries in Los Angeles.

Bike Traffic report with Don Ward.

A new study in the Journal for Transport and Land Use shows blaming individuals for traffic violence prevents systemic changes to US roadways.

“There Are No Accidents” author Jessie Singer on the evolution of the accident, and how the auto industry has convinced the public that car crashes are due to “jaywalkers,” “nutty drivers,” and human error- when they are built into our roads and cars.

Author Caroline Paul on her article “My Mother got on a bike. It changed her life” and the book from which it sprang, New York Times bestseller “The Gutsy Girl, Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure.”

One girl’s first time getting hit by a car.

Bike Thought by Stacey.