News, Transportation

Do Helmet Laws Kill (Bike-Sharing Programs)?

But the reason this post is controversial and much-commented is not really because of bike-sharing, which actual cyclists have little reason to care about — it’s because King County’s mandatory helmet law (base fine $30, court costs $51) is yet another instance where Seattle bicyclists get to sort themselves into law-abiding and law-breaking camps. (If want to bicycle bare-headed until you get caught the first time, all you have to do to evade the fine is show proof of purchase of a helmet.) Continue reading Do Helmet Laws Kill (Bike-Sharing Programs)?

News, Politics, Transportation

$80 Seattle Car Tab Fee Unites Greens That Tunnel Split Asunder

Over on Mayor McGinn’s blog, there’s an interesting entry in the post titled “Community support grows for investing in Seattle’s transit future.” A group with environmental leanings has reunited in favor of the $80 vehicle licensing fee, the same people who not so long ago had a public falling out over the “greenery” of the deep-bore tunnel. Continue reading $80 Seattle Car Tab Fee Unites Greens That Tunnel Split Asunder

News, Transportation

Uber Seattle Brings Town Cars to a Taxi-Starved Populace

As GeekWire reports, “Uber is contracting with about 40 private drivers in the Seattle area,” which so far has meant that we haven’t waited more than five minutes for a driver to arrive, even in the aftermath of the Torchlight Parade. Cook continues: “Uber charges a $7 base and $3.75 per mile or a 75 cent per minute time fee based on how fast the car is moving. A special rate between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac airport is set at $50.” Continue reading Uber Seattle Brings Town Cars to a Taxi-Starved Populace

Environment, News, Politics

Washington State Weighs the Pros and Cons of Coal Exports

De Place argues that a state with a governor who has already made “some strong statements” about the need to phase out coal-burning plants (and who is, I note, familiar with tobacco company-style strategies) has already established a baseline for what’s both moral and responsible when it comes to coal-generated electricity. The atmosphere not being a great respecter of political borders, he notes, it makes little sense to suppress greenhouse gas emissions in one spot, and facilitate the generation of even more elsewhere. Continue reading Washington State Weighs the Pros and Cons of Coal Exports

Environment, News, Science

The Puget Sound Experiment in Acidification

Operating as a carbon dioxide sink, unfortunately, means the oceans are gradually (or frighteningly fast, considering the scale) becoming more acidic. On the 0-14 pH scale, 7 is neutral; the oceans on average have dropped from 8.2 to 8.1 (it’s a logarithmic scale, so that’s a much bigger shift than it looks). So they’re not going to eat the skin of bathers’ bones–yet!–but to the marine life adapted to 8.2, things don’t feel quite right at all. Continue reading The Puget Sound Experiment in Acidification

News, Transportation

Cycling as a Uniter, Not a Divider

Now, certainly, biking is a more popular choice for anyone on a budget. Sightline’s Eric de Place says, “the biggest share of bicyclists isn’t yuppies, it’s low income people. In fact, the lowest-earning quarter of Americans make nearly one-third of all bike trips.”

But he emphasizes that bicycling is “remarkably evenly distributed” among the other three quarters. Said another way, the poorer half of the U.S. makes 52 percent of all bike trips, while the richer half make 48 percent. Continue reading Cycling as a Uniter, Not a Divider