The Monday Roundup: Trottenberg to USDOT, Black bike riders, being an ally, and more

Welcome to the week. Here are the most noteworthy items we came across in the past eight days.

Sign of the times: One of many ripple effects of the bike boom in London is that their transport agency has announced a $1.4 million investment in quality bike parking spaces.

When the Mayor speaks: New York City Bike Mayor Courtney Williams shares important insights into how and why white allies (organizations, advocates, and so on) need to think and act differently in order to level the cycling playing field.

Trottenberg to USDOT: Former commissioner of the NYC DOT Polly Trottenberg has been named Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation, the number two spot right under Pete Buttigieg. Nonprofit transportation reform group Transportation for America called the news, “incredibly exciting.”

Pete “Complete Streets” Buttigieg: A very promising look at USDOT Sec Pete Buttigieg beliefs on transportation in this WaPo piece that details his work to improve downtown South Bend, Indiana by making it less car-centric.

Opposite of the war on cars: US transportation policy is seriously broken when the Federal Transit Agency requests $70 million worth of car parking for a bus rapid transit project.

Dutch mobility webinars: The Dutch Cycling Embassy will host three “digital workshops” for U.S. planners and advocates, with one focused specifically on the Pacific Northwest on February 3rd.

Diversion expanded: A new law in California allows judges to offer diversion for nearly all misdemeanors — including DUI and vehicular manslaughter. Mothers Against Drunk Driving opposed the bill.

Who bikes?: These observations about not seeing Black bike riders are based in New York City but can and should be applied to Portland.

Tweet/video of the Week: We shared a link to the absurd new Mercedes-Benz touchscreen last week so it was fun to see Stephen Colbert rip it apart on his show:

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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