They paved Paradise, and put up a Jailhouse lot...

Well, Los Alamos isn't exactly Waikiki, the source of inspiration that led to Joni Mitchell's song "Big Yellow Taxi" about paving Paradise. I got to see that too, and finally fled Oahu when the bulldozers followed me all the way to the Ka Iwi channel overlooking Maui. Well, we had to move yet farther East, and here we are.

I'm probably not the only person in Bombtown that has slowly realized that the high point of land on the West side of the Mesa where we once walked out of such lofty offices as Council Chambers (or as I remember it, leaving our Bike Committee meetings in the Stoudt Room) will now proudly grace the County Hoosegow. Is it just poor planning, post 9-11 symbolism, or a lack of good taste that has led us to pave one of the most prominent points of land in Downtown Bombtown---for a jailhouse?

"...Don’t it always seem to go
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til it's gone
They paved paradise 
And put up a jailhouse lot..."

Acknowledgements to Joni Mitchell and to artists.letssingit.com for the lyrics, and to Carol Clark for the pic above and the accompanying story.

USA Today to Cyclists: Get the %$## off the road!

USA Today article: Two-wheel troublemaking: Have motorists let bicyclists' 'rights' go too far?

Its unfortunate when a major news publication lets itself be used for such one-sided journalism. I sent my two cents directly to the editor.

With acknowledgements to Patrick O'Grady/Maddogmedia for the illustration.

Sweepers, anyone?

This picture of a dysfunctional bike lane is not from Los Alamos, but from Tulsa, OK, with acknowledgments to CycleDog and Ed Wagner. When I break out my digital camera, I'll take some local pictures of problems closer to home.

Having said that, I've seen sections of bike lanes here in Bomb Town that have not seen a broom for a long time. Send your pictures here and we can post 'em.

I am sympathetic to the County because we have a lot of new construction going on and it makes it hell on Tom Roach and his Pavement Div, who are stretched pretty thin. But if our bike lanes are to work reasonably well, we need to keep them free of crud, and that language was included in the 2005 Council action that created our Bicycling Transportation System.

I personally had a bad run in with a motorist who got his knickers in a knot after I moved into a travel lane to avoid a smashed beer bottle in a bike lane. We don't need that sort of bad attitude, or that sort of broken glass.

So to the county, please find time to sweep, esp. on Diamond. To our citizens, please don't use the bike lanes as places to leave junk.

Mahalo nui loa!

Frank Zappa, at 22, playing the bicycle on the Steve Allen Show

TGIF!
Actually #1 in a series of four.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e3I0iagWXU

Bicycling politics: Gloom vs. Hope?

Great essay on cycling advocacy and safety by Mighk Wilson here.

Gail Ryba Medical Fund

I'm posting this on behalf of several BCNM Board members.

Many of you know Gail Ryba personally from the many years she served as our Bike Coalition President, Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, League Cycling Instructor.... as well as other do-good non-profit activities. Many of you are aware she has been fighting Cancer, and doing well! Unfortunately, medical co-pays and some non-covered services are making things pretty tight financially.

This email is in part to suggest that we all consider what I will call 'delayed recognition' for all those years of hard work, all those good deeds, and all that inspiration.... and consider donating to a Fund we have set up at Los Alamos Natl Bank. You can mail donations for deposit to

the 'Gail Ryba Medical Fund'
c/o Los Alamos National Bank
301 Griffin St.
Santa Fe, NM 87501
or call 505-954-5400 if you have questions

Air Caddy

This looks like a cool product.

Fast Food Drivethrough Turns Down a Cyclist (initially)

This is my favorite fast food joint in the world, which apparently had a stupid rule about bicyclists using their drivethroughs:

Burgerville and Cyclists.