#2530 States, Provinces, and Suburbs Versus Cities and Safety

Taylor’s ride through the burned-down Pacific Palisades neighborhood, and architect Neale Payton's insight into rebuilding the area as a Transit Oriented Development in the April 2025 Bike Talk episode https://biketalk.org/2025/04/2513-state-of-the-union-rebuilding-a-bike-oriented-la-and-bike-storage/ (0:28). Two vigils, four car victims, one day for NYC: Transportation Alternatives Communications Director Alexa Sledge shares audio of speakers at the vigil for the double car killing of Kevin Cruickshank and May Kwok on July 23 in NYC https://transalt.org/press-releases/mayor-adams-fix-canal-street-reduce-manhattan-bridge-speed-limit-after-speeding-driver-hits-and-kills-ta-member-riding-bike-and-woman-sitting-on-bench-at-canal-street-and-bowery-in-manhattan (3:09). The NY Times article “Drivers vs. Cyclists” both-sides-ism makes it seem that whether or not Toronto’s bike lanes increase traffic congestion is a matter of opinion https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/world/canada/bike-lanes-toronto.html (7:03). Alberta Transportation Minister, former Trump staffer Devin Dreeshen, is talking about removing bike lanes in Calgary, because he believes they interfere with car traffic (8:15). Los Angeles Metro extended pro-labor union bikeshare operator Bicycle Transit Systems’ contract through November 30, 2025, but it may go to Lyft after that. Is LA Metro’s preference for Lyft due to car bias? https://la.streetsblog.org/2025/05/22/metro-quietly-withdraws-lyft-bike-share-contract-vote (9:13) New York City’s August 2 “Summer Streets,” an open streets event, will be almost the length of Manhattan https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/summer-streets-manhattan-flyer-2025.pdf (10:26). September 14 will be the Los Angeles “Historic South Central Meets Watts CicLAvia" https://www.ciclavia.org/ciclavia_historic_south_central_meets_watts25 (10:46). Harry Potter actress Emma Watson was banned from driving after caught going 38 mph in a 30 mph zone. She had 9 points on her license, but still-would that have happened in the U.S. (11:10)? The worst states for bike commuters are ranked in a new study https://drive.google.com/file/d/18O7HQSZwrzMomlsHNKH3XnvkS_iO6WzX/view (12:24). A recent cyclist death on St. Claude Avenue in New Orleans focused some attention on Bike Easy’s “Safer St. Claude” campaign. With Bike Easy Executive Director Allene La Spina https://bikeeasy.org/our-work/advocacy/mnob/safer-st-claude/ (13:00). Bike The Drive, Chicago's August 31 annual fundraiser for Active Transportation Alliance, comes just as safe/multimodal street advocates struggle with the Illinois DOT for a saner configuration than DuSable Lakeshore Drive’s 8-lane speedway along Chicago’s waterfront. With John Greenfield, Streetsblog Chicago editor https://bikethedrive.org (22:57). BikeWalk Nebraska just got a Vulnerable User Law passed that’s good for cyclists, but there are some unwelcome riders in the law's final version. With BikeWalk Nebraska Executive Director Julie Harris (34:11). Nick sits and reflects by an Upper West Side bike lane with Carl Mahaney, Director of Streetopia Upper West Side for Open Plans https://www.streetopia.city (41:00).