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Bicycles Are For People Who Can’t Be Late 12

Bicycles Are For People Who Can’t Be Late
Businessman in Amsterdam – Photo courtesy of Mikael Colville-Andersen  Bicycles may be a healthy way to get around a city, helping to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. But they are often the fastest and most reliable way to get around a city too. On Tuesday I had a client meeting downtown Toronto at 3PM. The ...

Vintage Photo: Please Mr. Motorist… 1

Vintage Photo: Please Mr. Motorist…
  Photo courtesy of Carlton Reid via Flickr, and spotted on Facebook via Hypothyroid Mom via @ausyeda What a lovely way to provide drivers a friendly reminder to be cautious around bicyclists. James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or ...

Volvo Technology For Inattentive Drivers 1

Volvo Technology For Inattentive Drivers
Photo screenshot from Volvo YouTube video Volvo has recently announced new sensor technology that automatically applies the brakes if a cyclist obstructs the path of the car. From the YouTube video: All of Volvo’s new cars sold from May will include the sensors, which initially warn drivers with a row of red lights that flash ...

In Memory of Mary Thompson & Peter Root 6

In Memory of Mary Thompson & Peter Root
Peter Root and Mary Thompson in an undated photo (Photo courtesy of Jerry Root) Last week we covered the sad story about British Bicycle Bloggers Mary Thompson and Peter Root, who were tragically killed in Thailand after bicycling around the world since July 2011. I didn’t personally know Mary or Peter, but their untimely deaths ...

British Bicycle Bloggers On World Journey Killed in Thailand 24

British Bicycle Bloggers On World Journey Killed in Thailand
Two On Four Wheels blog photos from world journey – Courtesy of Two On Four Wheels In a tragic end to their fascinating bicycle odyssey around the world, Peter Root and Mary Thompson from the “Two On Four Wheels” bicycle blog were killed in Thailand Wednesday after being struck by a pickup truck. Root and ...

Photos: China’s History of Bicycles 4

Photos: China's History of Bicycles
Beijing’s Changan Street in 1986 – Photo courtesy of Beijing Shots  During the 1960’s and 1970’s, the bicycle was the most popular product in China. Bicycles were often given as wedding gifts, and in 1986, US President George HW Bush received two bicycles as a gift from Beijing. The country was known as “bicycle kingdom” ...

Edmonton Bicycle Numbers On Rise 4

Edmonton Bicycle Numbers On Rise
Bicycling comfortably in the winter in Amsterdam – photo courtesy of Marc / Amsterdamize In Edmonton, the number of bicyclists is on the rise after the city approved in 2009 the addition of almost 500 kilometres of bicycle infrastructure to the city’s bicycle route network. The Edmonton Journal reports: A long-term plan to add almost ...

External Airbags on Cars: Novel Idea? Or Band-Aid Solution? 11

External Airbags on Cars: Novel Idea? Or Band-Aid Solution?
External airbags photo courtesy of Fast Company There has been talk for several years now about putting airbags on the exterior of automobiles to protect pedestrians and bicyclists if they get hit. The idea originated in the Netherlands and was lauded by our friend Mikael at Copenhagenize back in 2010. Mikeal wrote in 2010: So, ...

Bicycling Through Rajasthan, India

Bicycling Through Rajasthan, India
Photo from India bike tour by Debbie Selley (Dec 2012) Our friend Debbie Selley recently returned to Canada after a two-week bicycling trip in Rajasthan, India. We asked Debbie a few questions about what it was like to tour India by bicycle and she was kind enough to share her story with The Urban Country. ...

Paying Employees To Bike To Work 8

Paying Employees To Bike To Work
An Amsterdam businessman – Photo by Dawn Paley  How financial incentives can re-shape our cities and our behaviour for a better future. In North America, there are endless incentives that encourage us to drive our cars everywhere. From 0% interest financing on new cars, to unlimited travel car insurance, to significant government tax-breaks for leased ...