Back in the Saddle 26/29

Is biking in wildfire smoke the new normal? Portland broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest electric bicycle ride on July 19! Claire Vlach, BikeLoud PDX Communications Director, reports back to Taylor https://www.portland.gov/transportation/news/2026/7/19/news-release-portland-breaks-guinness-world-recordstm-title-largest#:~:text=(July%2019%2C%202026)%20With,previous%20record%20holders%20in%20Seattle. 2:41 Peter Norton, author of “Autonoroma: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving,” on why Autonomous Vehicles won't save us, Part II https://bookshop.org/a/99134/9781642832402. 13:18 NEWS-The Wu administration shelved safety plans for Boston streets where a driver killed Louisa Gag-a bike activist, transportation planner, and member of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's staff https://mass.streetsblog.org/2026/07/14/wu-administration-shelved-safety-plans-for-mission-hill-streets-where-driver-killed-louisa-gag. Louisa worked at Living Streets Alliance before working with Mayor Wu https://www.livingstreetsalliance.org/ourwork. Xandro Meurisse struck from behind by car driver after Tour de France time trial https://www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/racing/bike-broken-and-police-on-the-scene-as-xandro-meurisse-struck-from-behind-by-car-driver-after-tour-de-france-time-trial/. Atlanta's new bike barriers are flipping cars (and it's not the barriers' fault) https://www.motorbiscuit.com/atlantas-new-bike-barriers-are-flipping-cars-and-sparking-debate/. RAGBRAI 53 https://ragbrai.com/. 26:03 The president of Greater Boston New England Mountain Bike Association, Mary McCarthy, on the meaning of bike advocate/Boston Transportation Planner Louisa Gag's death to the community in Boston. 28:31 Political stars including Mayoral candidate Nithya Raman spoke in support of CicLAvia’s open street at its “Meet the Hollywoods” event this past Sunday. Meanwhile, CicLAvia reported that LA Metro was about to quietly end future funding for open street events and asked for support. People phoned and emailed Metro’s board, and the Board voted unanimously to advance a motion to identify additional funding dedicated to open street events through 2028 https://mailchi.mp/ciclavia/metro-board-funding-july26?e=acba072215. 29:44 Nick meets Dan Bolognani and Dan McGuinness, core members of the Western New England Greenway, a multi-segment, multi-state bike route that links New York City and Montreal, on a recent ride with Bike Talk listener Tom O’Brien https://wnegreenway.org/events/. 31:31 Robin and Amy Verner, a retired couple on the Western New England Greenway ride, on how they bought a segment of rail trail near their home in Manchester, Vermont and made it part of the WNEG bike network. 35:30 Taylor interviews the Lansing Bike Party members Tim and Jeff Potter, Andy Rohrer, and Rick Oberle https://www.facebook.com/groups/lansingbikeparty/. 38:47 Amy Verner on what it was like to be a boomer in the bike business and how the bike business catered to boomers. 49:50