Sarah Goodyear shares insight into a book by Carlton Reid titled "Roads Were Not Built for Cars," which details the secret history of the bicyclists that helped launch the fledgling automobile industry in the late 19th century.
Sarah Goodyear writes for CityLab:
"The book, which is engaging and anything but dry, tells a story that has been mostly lost to time and politics: how cycling pioneers in the late 19th century, many from the powerful ruling classes, lobbied successfully for the improvement of the road networks in the United States and Europe, and how many of those same leading cyclists then went on to become leaders in the fledgling automobile industry. In so doing, they steered the future of transportation away from rails and onto roads."
The article goes on to provide a lengthy interview between Goodyear and Reid. Here Reid discusses the ethos of personal freedom shared by bicyclists and the early motorists in the late 19th century: "For motoring to take off, you had to have a bunch of people who were happy to be off in the sticks mending stuff. Because the first cars weren’t terribly reliable. Who were the bunch of people who were comfortable being off in the sticks mending stuff? The bicyclists."
FULL STORY: The Secret History of Cars Begins With Bicycles
Bicycles and Books — In Sacramento, Libraries Now Offer Both
Adult library card holders can check out e-bikes and e-trikes for up to one week.
Pilot Project Offers E-Bike Rebates in New York State
The program will start in the Village of Ossining with plans to expand in the greater Hudson River region.
The Bicycle as Economic Lifeline
For many low-income households, bikes offer an affordable way to access more destinations and economic opportunities.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?
Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)