Phillip Barron The Herald Sun Willetha Barnette, of Durham, rode her bike in traffic for the first time on October 4th. Encouraged by her friend Cynthia Ferebee to join the Critical Mass ride, a monthly group bike ride through the streets of Durham, Barnette said that she enjoyed the freedom to ride on the streets in safe numbers, but that she would not feel comfortable riding alone. As the group made its way down Anderson St, Barnette said, “it’s uncomfortable. Drivers don’t seem to be used to sharing the road. They seem annoyed, frustrated that we (cyclists) aren’t going as […]
The Outspokin’ Cyclist: Hybrid car pitch a step backwards
Phillip BarronThe Herald Sun September 14th marked the 108 year anniversary of the first pedestrian death at the hands of an automobile in the United States. On September 13th, 1899, Henry Bliss stepped from a streetcar on Central Park West, in New York, and was struck by a taxicab. He died of his injuries the next morning. The event was reported on the front page of the New York Times. In 2005 alone, 39,000 automobile crashes in the United States accounted for 43,000 deaths. Given the anniversary of Bliss’ death, it’s appropriate to think of September as an automobile awareness […]
The Outspokin’ Cyclist: Repaving N.C. not right for Durham
Phillip Barron The Herald Sun David Hartgen’s plan to repave the state of North Carolina might be accepted in some towns, but not in Durham. Hartgen, a professor at UNC-Charlotte, recently released a study of transportation planning that looks at urban areas around the state. His conclusions simply amount to statistically backed reasons why urban areas should reduce transit spending, divert saved funds to highway construction and road widening, and embrace the private automobile as the keystone species in the ecology of economic progress. The 200+ page study is available for download from the John Locke Foundation‘s website, and I […]
The Outspokin’ Cyclist: Ice puts focus on need for different kind of cities
Phillip Barron The Herald Sun DURHAM — Cafeteria conversation at work on January 31st revolved around the predicted ice storm. Bread, milk, and bottled water would be cleared off grocery store shelves by the time we left work that evening we all joked. We also guessed that the next day’s news would be littered with images of cars skidding off the road. It’s not that Southerners can’t drive in wintery conditions. Neither can the local transplants from New England or the midwest. No one can drive on ice. And since no one can drive on ice, the answer is not […]
The Outspokin’ Cyclist: Extension of greenway hours a win for commuters
Phillip Barron The Herald Sun December 22nd, 2005 DURHAM — One reason Lars Trost took his current job is that he knew he could bike to work from home. His office is about six miles south Forest Hills West, and it was important to him to find a route he could ride safely at night, since he often leaves work in the dark. After months of riding, he feels that the American Tobacco Trail is the safest and most direct route. Ever since Daylight Savings Time ended in October, Trost, like most bike commuters in Durham, finds himself riding home […]
Column: TTA has rescue plan for bikers
The Herald Sun February 10, 2005 On the one day you forget to carry a spare tube, patch kit, or pump in your pack you feel your front tire roll unsteadily around corners. You arrive at work as the remaining useful psi’s escape with that dreaded hiss. A shard from the broken bottle on the side of the road that you didn’t see until the last minute, catches the sunlight from where it sits halfway in your tire. Anxiety over being stranded at work by a flat tire, a broken chain, or unscheduled overtime is a big reason that people […]