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

Nick and Taylor ride Joe Borfo’s Tandem in Griffith Park

Latest Episode

Connecting the DOTs

January 6, 2024

LADOT’s Senior Traffic Engineer Tim Fremaux on LA’s famous traffic and how he’d love to see a network of interconnected facilities on a grid that would let you make trips comfortably by bike (it’s the LA Mobility Plan). With Lindsay Sturman and Taylor Nichols.
1:52

StreetsblogSF Editor Roger Rudick in conversation with Stacey Randecker on his commentary about how San Francisco “Fakes” its Vision Zero.
sf.streetsblog.org/2023/12/22/comm…-to-vision-zero
15:46

Cycling Embassy of Japan ambassadors James Szypula and Chad Feyen on how Tokyo’s bike friendliness depends on citizens rather than government.
39:55

photogallery
Bike Ironies

December 30, 2023

News: How the NYC Deliverista minimum wage may reduce bicyclist fatalities.
2:13
The irony of drivers waiting patiently at Christmas Light Displays, with Associate Director of Data Core at Stanford Center for Population Health Sciences, Bella Chu.
8:40
The irony of drivers waiting patiently at In-n-Out, with Peter Flax, journalist and former Editor in Chief of Bicycling Magazine. Image by Roscoe Flax.
19:59
The irony of the High Cost of Free Parking with its author, Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Urban Planning at UCLA, Donald Shoup. With Don Ward (rebroadcast portion).
38:17

photogallery
Ubiquitous Bike

December 22, 2023

Holiday Rides: The Los Angeles All City Toy Ride and the Arlington, Massachusetts Jingle Ride, with Joe Borfo and Lauren Hefferon.
6:10

Brooklyn’s Berry Street is a template for low traffic streets, despite an often hostile Mayor’s office. With Kevin Duggan, StreetsblogNYC journalist.
15:19
nyc.streetsblog.org/2023/11/21/eyes…traffic-streets

Cambridge Massachusetts’ Cycling Safety Ordinance requires the construction of separated bike lanes when streets are being reworked. It wasn’t easy, but a city report shows it’s been a success. MassBike Executive Director/Bike Talk host Galen Mook talks with Chris Cassa, a volunteer with the Cambridge Bike Safety Organization.
28:45
www.cambridgema.gov/-/media/Files/C…eport_final.pdf

RE:CYCLE The Ubiquitous Bike is an exhibit which includes historical bikes, photos, and videos in Sag Harbor, NY. Taylor talks to Sara Cochran, Chief Curator.
42:32
www.thechurchsagharbor.org/re-cycle-th…d%20artists.

bikeart, holidayrides, photogallery, protectedlanes
Santa Comes By Bike

December 15, 2023

Colin Jost on his outrageous bike habit, with Seth Meyers.
6:11

Santa Monica Mayor Gleam Davis leaves office with a wish for Santa Monica to be the bike capital of the world. 8:25

momentummag.com/santa-monica-want…ning-new-project/

Sarah Risser’s online poll showed most respondents don’t feel Portland needs to apologize for installing bike lanes without community input. The lane was removed anyway. 21:37

bikeportland.org/2023/12/12/portl…e-removal-382441

Milwaukee’s Santa Cycle Rampage reportback with Wisconsin Bike Federation Assistant Director Jake Newborn.
29:49

Maryland’s “Come By Bike Farm” is so named because of how its farmer, Vincent Hedger, gets there.
41:58

bikecapital, bikefarm, bikesanta, photogallery
Safe Passage Zealots

December 9, 2023

Fox News supports speeding.
3:50

The legality of riding on the sidewalk with Jim Pocrass, personal injury attorney.
6:01

A bike lane ripped out for unproven EV charging technology on a Michigan street, no community input required. With Detroit Greenways Coalition Todd Scott and Stacey Randecker.
11:25

Cycling fallacies debunked with Tim Lennon, Secretary for the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain. cyclingfallacies.com/en/
19:00

A repost of an interview with the author of “Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle,” Jody Rosen.
32:13

bikefallacies, bikehistory, bikelanes
Wheels Up

December 7, 2023

Los Angeles Bikeshare mechanic AnneMarie Drolet on biking in the winter and the Gender Expansive ride.
2:35 on.soundcloud.com/fzidN

The author of the OC Register article, “Sorry, urbanists, but bicycles will never save the planet,” Steven Greenhut, explains his perspective to Streetsblog LA Editor Joe Linton and Bike Talk cohost Taylor Nichols. www.ocregister.com/2023/11/10/sorr…ave-the-planet/
7:19 on.soundcloud.com/o42Av

Minneapolis’ Midtown Greenway is an alternative transportation corridor that features a 5.5 mile biking and walking trail. It is the busiest bikeway in Minnesota. Executive Director of the Midtown Greenway Coalition Soren Jensen talks about the Greenway and the propensity of people in Minneapolis to ride it in winter, with Taylor Nichols.
35:30 on.soundcloud.com/cdah2

bikelash, winterbike
Bike Love

December 5, 2023

What to do in a bike crash, with LA Personal Injury Attorney Jim Pocrass.
5:18 on.soundcloud.com/GGpRF

Livable Communities: bikes, transit, and housing. Liveable Communities Initiative founder Lindsay Sturman and Taylor Nichols.
11:09 on.soundcloud.com/EBHBN

“Hating Bike Lanes is not a Winning Strategy,” writes Massachusetts Streetsblogger Christian MilNeil of fall elections in Massachusetts. mass.streetsblog.org/2023/11/13/the…toral-strategy.
36:58 on.soundcloud.com/tLpe5

BikeTalk, Blog, elections, liveability
Making Spaces

November 20, 2023

Shabazz Stuart, CEO of Oonee, on making bike storage ubiquitous and free. Also, how the ebike registration bill being pushed by members of the NYC Council will cause racial profiling and disincentivize biking.
2:27 on.soundcloud.com/1iZPY

The Massachusetts Central Rail Trail was the focus of this year’s Golden Spike Conference. Conference organizer Craig De La Penna recreates a breakout session on how to get leaders to recognize the worth of a 104 mile bike/pedestrian trail across Massachusetts. With Norwottuck Network board members Glenn Pransky and Sharline Abulime, and Friends of Northampton Trails President George Kohout.
24:30 on.soundcloud.com/rV6cy

The Northampton Cyclocross race split with UCI over the world cycling body’s transgender policy, but it’s still a great event. Interviews with young riders as well as Tom Hoogendyk and Adam Myerson.
39:19 on.soundcloud.com/JjZfE

bikeparking, bikeregistration, BikeTalk, Blog, MCRT, photogallery
Cars and the Rest of Us

November 10, 2023

NY State Senate considers one bill to install governors in the cars of people who speed, and another to tax vehicles by weight. Amy Cohen of Families for Safe Streets, which sponsors the bills, weighs in with Lindsay Sturman.
3:20 on.soundcloud.com/ZtrP6

How to increase bike mode share, with Brett Atencio Thomas, Active Transportation Coordinator with the city of Costa Mesa, California. Also with Lindsay.
12:43 on.soundcloud.com/mWbGZ

The Republic of Drivers: A Cultural History of Automobility in America. By Cotten Seiler, in conversation with Taylor Nichols.
32:11 on.soundcloud.com/ExeKj

automobility, modeshare, photogallery, Speed
Xings

November 4, 2023

Cohosts Taylor, Nick and Lindsay discuss a study that finds bicyclists are better people than drivers. jalopnik.com/study-finds-cyclis…drivers-1850964103

Sounds from Arroyo Fest, in which the 110 Freeway was closed to cars for a day.
6:36 on.soundcloud.com/Fdy7j

Ongoing negotiations with Vancouver’s anti-bike lane City Council, and the false equivalency of distracted driving with distracted walking, with Lucy Maloney.
10:23 on.soundcloud.com/WJ4ux

A Chicago Critical Mass reportback from the creator of “Captain Jack Sharrow,” Rick Rosales.
21:23 on.soundcloud.com/Dsske

Taylor interviews Ben Goldfarb on his book “Crossings-How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet.”
29:57 on.soundcloud.com/XLKYE

Can you take the sidewalk when your bike lane is blocked? A Northampton rider asks, and City Council Vice President Karen Foster answers.
43:53 on.soundcloud.com/hdjtM

A bike thought from Stacey.
49:39 on.soundcloud.com/zGxvX

bikelane, BikeTalk, Blog, ecology, photogallery, roads