Sub-prime auto loans leave borrowers stranded

For CityLab, Sarah Goodyear documents a horrific consequence of society’s car-dependency. Sub-prime auto loans encourage borrowers to take out loans on cars that they’re unable to pay for. When they default on payments, lenders disable the cars remotely, leaving the borrowers without access to work, health care or basic goods and services.

Feminist Library On Wheels, books on custom tricycle

A ribbon cutting for the Feminist Library on Wheels.
Image credit: Feminist Library on Wheels on Facebook

The Feminist Library on Wheels, consisting of donated books shelved on a custom-built tricycle, is an “eclectic mix of analytical texts and more leisurely reads.” As related by Aminka Khan for the LA Times, librarians Jean Witte and Dawn Finley said they love “the crowdsourced definition of feminism on the library’s weathered shelves.” This library assistant and cyclist loves the idea of library outreach atop a bicycle.

Social sharing credit: Women Bike/League of American Bicyclists

Table-top ironing board balanced on bike rack

My latest delivery of sewn bills and crowns for Hat People in southern Oregon was a trip that saw me taking a table-top ironing board home.

Transit director argues, directors should ride public transit

Houston Metro by Sean Davis on Flickr
Licensed for use under Creative Commons

“If you’re going to be making decisions about transit, you really need to know what it’s actually like. Not what it’s like in theory, but what it’s actually like.” That’s according to Christof Spieler, as quoted by Eric Jaffe for CityLab/CityFixer.

Bike safety boosted by ‘smart’ street design

Credit: New York City Department of Transportation

Less road space for automobiles doesn’t have to mean more congestion or delay at city intersections. At CityLab.com, Eric Jaffe explains how smart street design can eliminate many of the traffic problems that bike lane opponents anticipate when voicing their objections.

Women essential to future of bicycling

A recent webinar on emerging trends by the League of American Bicyclists concludes that women are essential to the future of bicycling. In fact, the industry’s continued viability depends on their participation.