This seemed to be the week for announcing cycle-friendly rankings with both the Copenhagenize Index of cities and the US bike friendly state rankings being announced. Naturally, no UK cities were in the top 20 for the Copenhagenize index, but Delaware was happy to jump up to fifth while Pensylvania wonders how it can improve its ranking. Perhaps we need to do the same for Local Authorities here?
Sadly, another story dominating the blogs this week was the McCourt Case where a driver who killed not one but two cyclists actually got a shorter sentence the second time around. Magnatom wonders what chance any of us have while Dave McCraw wonders how many cyclists you'd have to kill to lose your licence permanently. The Scotsman interviews the family of the first cyclist he killed while Kim Harding says it's time to stop blaming the victims. Both Andrew Burns and the Auld Reekie Cyclist are outraged - making Pedal on Parliament more relevant than ever - even if you're in England. It's not just a problem for Scotland - the vulnerable are being betrayed in England too - as Peace Cycling knows all too well, while children end up building straw policemen to try and slow traffic. With the Cycling Silk looking at why assaults on cyclists aren't prosecuted. Buffalo Bill just wants to see proper law enforcement although at least Croydon Cyclist sees a driver convicted - another example of how a camera can help you whether you're cycling and driving. In London a bus vs bike collision gets Kennington People on Bikes angry while a study shows just how dangerous even reading texts can be while driving. Elsewhere on the legal side, Kim Harding makes the case for strict liability while the government itself is found to be in breach of its legal duty over air pollution.
Perhaps what it needs is a decent cycling strategy... Notes from a Transport Planner came out with a whole series of posts on what makes a good one although it would seem Westminster didn't have time to read them. Elsewhere the LCC welcomes the rumoured Office for Active Travel while As Easy as Riding a Bike points out some flaws in an analysis of why the Dutch cycle and the British don't - possibly because road designers think we all look like this.
Really what we need to do is to copy what we know works which is why the blogosphere was all excited about the Dutch style roundabout being trialled including Kevin Hickman and the LCC although the Ranty Highwayman points out it's all subject to DfT approval and some sceptical responses suggest there's work to do to selling it to road-hardened UK cyclists.
Elsewhere in the UK, the City Challenge bids were going in with Greater Manchester putting in a £20 million bid and Cambridge an £8.2 million one with support from Cambridge Cycle campaign. In London, Cyclehoop is installing managed bike lockers across Southwark while Lambeth council wants e-postcards from residents to help it spend its money and Charles Martin considers whether Sutton could Go Dutch. Cycling without Age is to come to London (which could be interesting around the Elephant and Castle roundabout) while if you've lost a bike in Hackney the police might have some good news for you. As Edinburgh discovers helmet cameras, Instography finds a sure sign that your bike lane is too narrow and Bikeable Jo falls in love with the city's off-road trail network - but there still won't be anything along Leith Walk despite the vast majority of those responding to the consultation asking for it. Perhaps the city's latest festival will improve things? Darkerside finds that Glasgow's streets were built for anything but cars while WillCycle finds the NCN3 in Cornwall doesn't seem to have been built for anybody - but work is starting on a new route in Coventry. Phil Ward visits the new Stirling Cycle Hub while the Leeds Cycling Campaign tries cycling in its own city centre and finds it 'like a death wish'. Still at least the long winter hasn't been putting riders off.
With the Get Britain Cycling petition heading towards the half way mark to trigger a debate, British Cycling throws its weight behind it - even if you're not a cyclist. Dave McCraw feels pedalling on Parliament is the biggest thing you can do in 2013 while the ECF reminds us supporting 20mph (30kmh) means more cyclists. Dr Tammy Boyce wonders why campaigns don't make better use of academics to influence policy while in Virginia they make sure that every cyclist counts and is counted. The Scottish Greens argue that awareness raising campaigns are just missing the point while the Green Ideas Factory calls for better infrastructure and design rather than 'hugging and sharing' to make roads safer. With the Bike Show interviewing David Hembrow on what it really means to go Dutch, the man himself goes on to encourage cycle campaigners to keep up the good fight - even if you lose an individual battle. And with Bike Month starting in the US, Kristin Butcher considers how to introduce someone to cycling without scarring them for life while the Seattle Bike Blog looks at how it can transform a school's transportation culture.
With the local elections this week Cambridge Cyclist summarises the candidates' positions and Margaret Hodge does her best to lose the cycling vote by dooring one while an election result leaves Counter Cyclical in a twitter spat with a 'cyclist' who seems to prefer to drive. Scotland's transport minister is to visit the Netherlands to look at Dutch roundabouts in their native habitat while the Department of Health makes positive noises about Bikeability. In America San Diego's politicians are committed to protected bike lanes as is the Secretary of Transportation and Seattle's mayor updates the school road safety initiative. And lest you think the whole world's been turned upside down, an Irish politician mistakes the Dail for the saloon bar. Meanwhile the Guardian Bike Blog looks back on almost four years and canvasses your vote (do you think we'll ever get an award for compiling this?)
Elly Blue considers why biking is a feminist issue while a New York panel looks to close the gender gap and women teach other women to ride in Mexico City. It really shouldn't be this complicated to take your daughter to work by bicycle. While cycling fashion is improving, cycling women do seem to be a bit more low maintenance than their non-cycling sisters - perhaps they're avoiding the unexpected downside to a more feminine bike - endless sexist remarks.
Have we reached the age of the bike? Americans are driving like it's 1995 and so are the Australians - do we need a bold transformation of America's cities where pedestrian deaths cost the country more than congestion? Drawing Rings attempts to create a simple economic model of the issues and Flying Pigeon argues that there's suppressed demand - certainly Lynne McNicoll would like to cycle if she felt safe. But in the Netherlands Kevin Mayne discovers a curious phenomenon ... empty bike lanes.
Elsewhere, Pedro Delgado joins the campaign against helmet compulsion in Spain, as the ECF reports. Stockholm discovers you need more than MAMILs to build a cycling region while Bruges decides to subsidise electric bikes instead of cars - which is good because they seem to be effective at getting drivers out of their cars. Cycling Christchurch doesn't buy the excuses of why cyclists don't stop at red (do car blogs angst about their fellow drivers blocking bike lanes we wonder?). Portland to Portland leaves Portland for Portland - don't tell them they can just put their bikes on the train. Modal Mom considers the good, the bad and the downright ugly and finds a (closed) little piece of Holland in North America, while Real Cycling enjoys a traffic-free city in Montenegro. With bikeshare coming to New York, Streets blog asks WWJD (that's Jane, not Jesus) and Brooklyn Spoke discovers everyone loves the bike share ... just not if it's their parking space that's going (although bike racks are parking too of course). Gothamist considers the lessons from DC while with Chicago the next city to plan one, Transitized considers the real issues.
As Portland introduces a pedal powered market stall, Bicycle Dutch visits his local bike shop. Modal Mom tracks all her purchases all her purchases during 30 days of biking and finds she's definitely keeping her money in the community - perhaps that's why bikes can bring business to struggling districts in the US - or failing that, at least books for low income kids.
And finally, with the Two Tunnels Route branded 'dangerous', and a triathalon that's been run safely for many years cancelled on a police whim, Norfolk Living Streets tackle the real menace - cycling on the prom - so perhaps what we all need is this.
We'll be back next week, by land or by sea, with another bike blog roundup