The Monday Roundup: Visibility matters, clean mobility for clunkers, what women want, and more

Welcome to the week.

Here are the most notable items our writers and readers came across in the past seven days….

The problem with DOTs: This week’s must-read is a Washington Post article that delves deep into the tension between how much power our federal government has (or chooses to exert) over state DOTs, and how too much authority at the state level could prevent us from ever changing the deadly and car-dominated transportation tide.

E-bike boosterism: If you know someone who’s e-bike curious, send them this wonderful article from Hood River resident Megan Ramey where she lays out very compelling reasons to try one.

E-bike silence: Thank god for transportation journalist David Zipper, who is still trying to get elected officials to pay more attention to e-bikes when considering energy policy in the mobility sector.

Pay you to bike: Brussels, the capital of Belgium, will give up to 900 euros ($994 USD) to anyone who cancels their car registration and agrees to purchase bike-related equipment or a bike-share subscription. They call it the “sustainable mobility bonus.”

Cheaper buses: New Zealand will test out an idea to halve the price of bus fare (and leave gas taxes in place) in response to higher gas prices and uncertainty over oil supplies due to the war in Ukraine.

‘Clean mobility for clunkers’: Some Green New Deal advocates and smart policy folks think President Biden should launch a program that allows people to trade in old fossil fuel-powered cars for rebates on e-bike and other EVs.

Where your bike really comes from: A former mining geologist who now writes for Cycling News shares an inside look at the journey your bike takes from the mineral mine to your garage.

What you don’t see can hurt someone else: Thanks to new research on SUV designs from IIHS we are learning more about the link between how the safety of occupants inside cars has come at grave expense to the people outside of them.

What women want: Streetsblog highlighted an interesting new zine from nonprofit Transit Center that gave women in transportation fields a chance to share their voices.

Bike industry and Ukraine: If you’re curious about how major bike companies are responding to the war in Ukraine, don’t miss this excellent roundup from Bicycle Retailer & Industry News.

Thanks to everyone who sent in links this week.

Jonathan Maus is BikePortland’s editor, publisher and founder. Contact him at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.