Week in Review: Bicycle News & Opinions from Around the World

What did you learn from the news last week? On the cycling front, we learned that for some people – helping to make sure our environment is green is more important to them than making sure their pocketbook is green, we learned that the coldest day in Chicago’s history was a whopping negative 27 degrees, and we learned that we should “eat dessert first”. Want to know how we learned these things? Check out this past week’s batch of bicycling-related news!

• January 19, 2010: One man’s reasons for turning in his stock portfolio and picking up a bicycling plan. Is cycling the answer to our urban woes? (Mahesh Vijapurkar, Rediff News)

• January 20, 2010: BicyclePASS – A new business model created by resident Philip Koopman of Mount Rainer where the services and products offered will not only cater to current bicycle commuters, but also broaden the appeal of using a bike for transportation to those who have been reluctant to do so because of the lack of proper accommodations at their destination. Industry Veterans Form BicyclePASS (Press Release, Bicycle Retailer)

• January 20, 2010: The coldest day in Chicago history was minus 27 on Jan. 20, 1985, and to mark the occasion, the Active Transportation Alliance encouraged commuters to bike to work and handed out coffee and treats to those who did. Bike to Work in Honor of Chicago’s Coldest Day (Hunter Clauss, NBC Chicago)

• January 20, 2010. The number 10 most friendly bicycle city is Basel, Switzerland. The number one….? The World’s 11 Most Bicycle Friendly Cities (Warren McLaren, Tree Hugger)

• January 21, 2010: “Build It” is a program that was created by the Bike Transportation Agency in hopes of BTA hopes that it will put pressure on city leaders to build out the bike plan once it’s adopted on February 4th. BTA launches “Build It” social media campaign (Jonathan Maus, BikePortland.org)

• January 22, 2010: Touching story on why we should always try to enjoy our life. World bicycle adventures: Eat dessert first! (Frosty Wooldridge, OEN)

• January 22, 2010: The SFMTA 2009 Bicycle Count Report (PDF), which shows an 8.5 percent increase in the number of cyclists on the streets last year compared to 2008, and a 53 percent increase since 2006, is now out! Bicycling Up 8.5 Percent in SF Last Year, 53 Percent Increase from 2006 (Michael Rhodes, SF Streets Blog)