Before you get too angry, read to the bottom.
I read a tweet this morning re-tweeted by someone in the UK. A woman apparently had tweeted that she had just hit a cyclist with her car and that she was justified in doing so because she paid road taxes and the cyclist did not, hence giving her the right of way. Interesting.
the article is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-22596605
The right of way becomes the right to injure or kill.
So this got me thinking about the long standing discussion regarding whether or not we should tax bicycles to use our roads. I just paid the registration and tax for our 1995 Volvo. We paid $42.00 to the State of Minnesota. The car weighs just over 3200 ibs. and so taxed at about 1 and 1/3 penny per pound. As most road use taxes are based on a vehicle's weight - the heavier vehicles provide more wear and tear to our streets and highways.
My bike weighs just under 25 lbs and the resulting annual tax should be (rounded up) $0.33. Some might recognize and point out that our 1995 car is taxed at the minimum and it isn't a fair comparison to newer more expensively taxed cars. So we propose increasing the bike tax TEN TIMES to $3.30 per year.
Still others will claim that they are paying road taxes with the fuel tax on every gallon of gas. A couple of things come to mind here. Let's say you fill up in the Twin Cities, about 20 miles from Wisconsin and then take a business or pleasure trip into Wisconsin where you use the entire tank of gas. You have just paid taxes to MN for the privilege of tearing up WI roads. Not fair.
Bicyclists - like everyone else already pay a share of road taxes by the purchase of goods brought to us by truck. Trucks pay a large share of road use taxes - they are very very heavy. When we fuel up with food for our daily commute on our bikes, we have paid road taxes to bring the food to our tables.
While the individual numbers are small they add up. Most estimates put the global number of bicycles at 1 billion. That's $3.3B per year in tax revenue worldwide.
Be careful what you ask for!
So now assuming we are taxed and we are paying our fair share, here is the cool part for cyclists!
We get to take the lane every day, on every highway and street, whenever we ride our bikes.
No more being relegated to the gutter or nearby to eat debris that can damage tires and, at times, cause injury. No more being relegated to the position of second class citizens. I think it's a great bargain!
TD
Monday, May 20, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
5/9 (and Washington Avenue)
9/11
12/7
4/19
4/20 (not that 420)
12/14
We will remember these and other dates with a lot of pain and dark memories.
Will 5/9 join the list? Last Thursday, for the first time in human history, we have surpassed (the average for an entire day near equatorial earth) 400 parts per million (PPM) of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. The scientific community have dreaded this milestone - we should too - because it represents a tipping point and a point of no return, in climate change and the warming of our atmosphere.
We are experiencing the ill effects of climate change already:
Katrina
Sandy
2012
April 2013......
We need to remember that climate scientists will tell us until they are blue in the face that climate and weather are different. A cold winter in Minnesota does mean an end to climate change.
So how does this relate to Washington Avenue in Minneapolis? Hennepin County is re-making the street from Seven Corners to Hennepin Avenue - soup to nuts. Last evening they held an open house to gather input from citizens about the best approach to the design. They presented on the walls and tables several design concepts and are requesting feedback from citizens. I saw many friends there and from the look of the number of helmets hanging from backpacks, the cycling community was well represented. If you - after the meeting - would like to weigh in, go here:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/WashingtonAveDesignConcept
In our view schemes 3A and 3B represent the safest alternatives for cyclists and pedestrians but far be it from us to tell you how to vote. All of the schemes will recognize Washington Avenue (a county road) as a veritable highway through the center of the CBD. Why?
We are clueless in the face of fewer miles driven annually in the US since 2005 - well before the economic turndown. Traffic projections used in this "improvement" are based on ever increasing numbers of cars traveling through downtown. The downturn in miles driven is not an anomaly but rather a trend after 8 years.
So let's review:
400 PPM
Brand new Washington Avenue
Number of miles driven steadily decreasing
Anyone else see this?
What was a "want to" has become a "need to" for a host of reasons. We need to create a safe separate bike/ped infrastructure in and into our central cities.
This will result in greater revenue to center city businesses (smaller but many more purchases by cyclists). This will result in a healthier (and cheaper for taxpayers) population of people walking and riding to work. And it will - in a very tiny way - help to slow the speed at which out lovely planet will no longer be able to sustain a human population.
Please let your voie be heard. Take the survey and give Hennepin County feedback that will enable them to do the right thing.
Let's not make 5/9 such an important date!
12/7
4/19
4/20 (not that 420)
12/14
We will remember these and other dates with a lot of pain and dark memories.
Will 5/9 join the list? Last Thursday, for the first time in human history, we have surpassed (the average for an entire day near equatorial earth) 400 parts per million (PPM) of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. The scientific community have dreaded this milestone - we should too - because it represents a tipping point and a point of no return, in climate change and the warming of our atmosphere.
We are experiencing the ill effects of climate change already:
Katrina
Sandy
2012
April 2013......
We need to remember that climate scientists will tell us until they are blue in the face that climate and weather are different. A cold winter in Minnesota does mean an end to climate change.
So how does this relate to Washington Avenue in Minneapolis? Hennepin County is re-making the street from Seven Corners to Hennepin Avenue - soup to nuts. Last evening they held an open house to gather input from citizens about the best approach to the design. They presented on the walls and tables several design concepts and are requesting feedback from citizens. I saw many friends there and from the look of the number of helmets hanging from backpacks, the cycling community was well represented. If you - after the meeting - would like to weigh in, go here:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/WashingtonAveDesignConcept
In our view schemes 3A and 3B represent the safest alternatives for cyclists and pedestrians but far be it from us to tell you how to vote. All of the schemes will recognize Washington Avenue (a county road) as a veritable highway through the center of the CBD. Why?
We are clueless in the face of fewer miles driven annually in the US since 2005 - well before the economic turndown. Traffic projections used in this "improvement" are based on ever increasing numbers of cars traveling through downtown. The downturn in miles driven is not an anomaly but rather a trend after 8 years.
So let's review:
400 PPM
Brand new Washington Avenue
Number of miles driven steadily decreasing
Anyone else see this?
What was a "want to" has become a "need to" for a host of reasons. We need to create a safe separate bike/ped infrastructure in and into our central cities.
This will result in greater revenue to center city businesses (smaller but many more purchases by cyclists). This will result in a healthier (and cheaper for taxpayers) population of people walking and riding to work. And it will - in a very tiny way - help to slow the speed at which out lovely planet will no longer be able to sustain a human population.
Please let your voie be heard. Take the survey and give Hennepin County feedback that will enable them to do the right thing.
Let's not make 5/9 such an important date!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Citizen Cycling
Every Thursday evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time the twitterverse trends with BikeSchool, a weekly hour of fun for cycling enthusiasts. It's a Twitter discussion around #bikeschool, with a professor, students, back row highjinx, and fun with a little bit of learning as well.
I've been "attending" for a couple of months and it's a fast paced, fun way to spend an hour on Thursday evenings. My school mates are an eclectic bunch, racers, roadies, messengers, women, men, young, an old from all over the world. The common thread of course is, cycling. The format is easy, The professor poses about 10 questions during the hour and the students will answer, discuss and just have fun with the topics.
As it happens, this week - tomorrow - I'll be the #bikeschool professor and our topic will be "Citizen Cycling".
So this got me thinking. What is Citizen Cycling?
Earlier this year, Boris Johnson, the mayor of London announced that he wanted to bring London into the foregront of cycling leadership by making London a premier bike friendly city. The plan is to pledge over a billion dollars (pounds?) in new investments to make that happen. As part of the discussion he coined - or used - the term "delycrafy". The interwebs buzzed with controversy about whether or not this was a good idea. Should they alienate a large part of our cycling brotherhood and sisterhood who like to bike in spandex? No. But were they?
So this brings me to citizen cycling. I like to think it's a - borrowed term - big tent that can include anyone who rides a bike. The sub-affinity groups in biking seem passionate about how cycling fits into their lives as commuters, racers, alley catters, messengers, etc. and I've seen personally a kind of smugness about how their group is one that carries with it the most passion.
So let me try to break it down into it's parts. In short, I define it as using your bike for transportation, joy, and as a tool. It's democratic. It's a way of riding that celebrates the joy of cycling. In this way, the 30 Days of Biking movement is so very cool.
The bike
This is not limited to the Dutch upright rider with protections for work clothes - pants and dresses.
Any bike will do if you like to ride it. There are of course better and worse ideas if you ride year-round in colder climates. The bike is a tool, albeit one you can adore.
Clothing
By and large, citizen cycling is about wearing what you will need to be wearing at your destination. This is where the delycrafy controversy blew up. I don't wear spandex anything and I can't see that changing. However, a good friend of mine, a fifty something woman once told me, "I have a great body and I can wear spandex and so I will." It's a worthy argument.
My impression is however is that if most or all cyclists are seen riding in full kit, it can intimidate others to take up riding as a serious endeavor for commuting or other more menial adventures other than racing. "I don't have the body for spandex." "I don't want to spend the money for all the gear." The list can go on here. It's always easier to find reasons not to start a program requiring some commitment than not.
Mileage
Many cyclists ride primarily for excercise and I applaud them for it. They use Strava and other applications to track their speed and mileage and are passionate about adding up the miles. An attorney friend of mine used to commute from the Twin Cities' eastern suburbs and always bragged about how many miles he rode each month. Yet once home, he would get into his car to drive the 1/2 mile to the market for a head of lettuce. Does anyone else see the irony?
For any avid readers here, you know that this was the first year I rode year 'round, through thin and (mostly) thick ice and snow. I first tried to ride for recreation and realized quickly that it wasn't that much fun. I pledged however that I would ride wherever I had to go if riding the bike was a viable way to get there. It worked and the miles added up.
If I would look back on a year's worth of riding, I know that the mileage would be impressive but that's completely beside the point. I don't track it. I like the simplicity of no extraneous wires for the computer on my bike. And it takes away - for me - from the shear joy of the ride. There is nothing better than getting lost in your head while the miles go by without thought to them.
In some segments of cycling it's not always about the speed anyway, An alley cat racer once told me that she did well in races not becuase she was lightening fast, but because she could find the shortest routes from A to B. Health issues sometimes impeded her speed but she found a way to win.
The citizen cyclist? Well we primarily ride to get from A to B using the least amount of fossil fuels with the most amount of joy. Ultimately, I believe, (with only anecdotal evidence) that commuters often ride more miles than those who train heavily with their bikes below them.
The helmet
Here is where I expect the comments about safety and helmet use, "you know, wearing a helmet saved my life". I won't argue with that sentiment. This is an old saw so I won't revisit why but from a public policy point of view, encouraging or mandating helmet use reduces ridership and mode share, thereby making it less safe to cycle. A bikeschool classmate rides to and from work - many miles - in New York City without a helmet and is often berated at corners for not wearing one. The research and the perception of helmet safety are at such cross purposes. I'll never advise one way or another but one factor that cyclists (including my daughter) use is how they might look arriving at their meeting, work, or the date. Helmet hair can be um, interesting.
The image that I carry around can be seen in the best biking city in the world, Amsterdam. Look at youtube videos of cycling in Amsterdam and count the helmets.
Just enjoy the ride!
I've been "attending" for a couple of months and it's a fast paced, fun way to spend an hour on Thursday evenings. My school mates are an eclectic bunch, racers, roadies, messengers, women, men, young, an old from all over the world. The common thread of course is, cycling. The format is easy, The professor poses about 10 questions during the hour and the students will answer, discuss and just have fun with the topics.
As it happens, this week - tomorrow - I'll be the #bikeschool professor and our topic will be "Citizen Cycling".
So this got me thinking. What is Citizen Cycling?
Earlier this year, Boris Johnson, the mayor of London announced that he wanted to bring London into the foregront of cycling leadership by making London a premier bike friendly city. The plan is to pledge over a billion dollars (pounds?) in new investments to make that happen. As part of the discussion he coined - or used - the term "delycrafy". The interwebs buzzed with controversy about whether or not this was a good idea. Should they alienate a large part of our cycling brotherhood and sisterhood who like to bike in spandex? No. But were they?
So this brings me to citizen cycling. I like to think it's a - borrowed term - big tent that can include anyone who rides a bike. The sub-affinity groups in biking seem passionate about how cycling fits into their lives as commuters, racers, alley catters, messengers, etc. and I've seen personally a kind of smugness about how their group is one that carries with it the most passion.
So let me try to break it down into it's parts. In short, I define it as using your bike for transportation, joy, and as a tool. It's democratic. It's a way of riding that celebrates the joy of cycling. In this way, the 30 Days of Biking movement is so very cool.
The bike
This is not limited to the Dutch upright rider with protections for work clothes - pants and dresses.
Any bike will do if you like to ride it. There are of course better and worse ideas if you ride year-round in colder climates. The bike is a tool, albeit one you can adore.
Clothing
By and large, citizen cycling is about wearing what you will need to be wearing at your destination. This is where the delycrafy controversy blew up. I don't wear spandex anything and I can't see that changing. However, a good friend of mine, a fifty something woman once told me, "I have a great body and I can wear spandex and so I will." It's a worthy argument.
My impression is however is that if most or all cyclists are seen riding in full kit, it can intimidate others to take up riding as a serious endeavor for commuting or other more menial adventures other than racing. "I don't have the body for spandex." "I don't want to spend the money for all the gear." The list can go on here. It's always easier to find reasons not to start a program requiring some commitment than not.
Mileage
Many cyclists ride primarily for excercise and I applaud them for it. They use Strava and other applications to track their speed and mileage and are passionate about adding up the miles. An attorney friend of mine used to commute from the Twin Cities' eastern suburbs and always bragged about how many miles he rode each month. Yet once home, he would get into his car to drive the 1/2 mile to the market for a head of lettuce. Does anyone else see the irony?
For any avid readers here, you know that this was the first year I rode year 'round, through thin and (mostly) thick ice and snow. I first tried to ride for recreation and realized quickly that it wasn't that much fun. I pledged however that I would ride wherever I had to go if riding the bike was a viable way to get there. It worked and the miles added up.
If I would look back on a year's worth of riding, I know that the mileage would be impressive but that's completely beside the point. I don't track it. I like the simplicity of no extraneous wires for the computer on my bike. And it takes away - for me - from the shear joy of the ride. There is nothing better than getting lost in your head while the miles go by without thought to them.
In some segments of cycling it's not always about the speed anyway, An alley cat racer once told me that she did well in races not becuase she was lightening fast, but because she could find the shortest routes from A to B. Health issues sometimes impeded her speed but she found a way to win.
The citizen cyclist? Well we primarily ride to get from A to B using the least amount of fossil fuels with the most amount of joy. Ultimately, I believe, (with only anecdotal evidence) that commuters often ride more miles than those who train heavily with their bikes below them.
The helmet
Here is where I expect the comments about safety and helmet use, "you know, wearing a helmet saved my life". I won't argue with that sentiment. This is an old saw so I won't revisit why but from a public policy point of view, encouraging or mandating helmet use reduces ridership and mode share, thereby making it less safe to cycle. A bikeschool classmate rides to and from work - many miles - in New York City without a helmet and is often berated at corners for not wearing one. The research and the perception of helmet safety are at such cross purposes. I'll never advise one way or another but one factor that cyclists (including my daughter) use is how they might look arriving at their meeting, work, or the date. Helmet hair can be um, interesting.
The image that I carry around can be seen in the best biking city in the world, Amsterdam. Look at youtube videos of cycling in Amsterdam and count the helmets.
Just enjoy the ride!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Lists
Earlier this week a Star-Tribune article talked about our fascination with lists. And how important it is to Minnesotans that we be at the top - of the good ones.
Well, yesterday the League of American Bicyclists announced their 2013 list of cycle friendly states, and Minnesota has fallen, from 2nd to 4th. Oh well.
Just prior, having cappuccino's with a friend (and the proprietor of this blog), we briefly touched on Minneapolis Mayor Rybak's recent bout of denial. Tony pointed out that Rybak and other city fathers still refer to Minneapolis as the #1 cycling city in the U.S. But we're not. We lost that spot. To Portland. We're #2.
But we may not be #2 for long. If we don't start making a lot more progress a lot faster we'll find ourselves dropping like a rock. Chicago, Washington DC, Seattle, Tucson, New York City, Memphis, Austin TX, and others aren't nipping at our heals - their getting ready to jump past us and leave us in their dust. It's not inconceivable that we could fall out of the top 10. Ouch.
For some perspective though, consider that not a single one of these cities, not Portland, not Minneapolis, not Chicago, even ranks outside of our hallowed borders. The Copenhagenize Index of Bicycle Friendly Cities for 2013 found only one North American city that made the top 20. And that was Montreal. Canada! So much for using weather as an excuse.
This is all good news though. Most politicians, those people who take our money and make choices on how to spend it, don't like to lead. Or at least by much. They get uncomfortable leading. Leading means accountability. It means having nobody else to blame things on.
There's a saying that success has a million fathers but failure is an orphan. The problem is that if something does fail, someone, somewhere, will figure out who the father is, blab all over, and politicians don't like that. So most are cautious about taking the risks necessary to be a leader.
Our dropping in the rankings and having other U.S. cities and states getting ready to eat our lunch may not do much for our collective ego, but it does give the money spenders some cover. If something goes south they can blame it on all of the other cities that were doing the same thing. And they can argue, rightly, that they had to beef up our cycling facilities or we'd be left behind. And that provides them with some comfort. And that will lead to a greater willingness and desire to produce better cycling facilities. And while we may have a bruised ego, at least we'll be able to sooth it by getting on our bike and enjoying a more pleasant and safe ride to Quixotic for a very good cappuccino.
WA
Well, yesterday the League of American Bicyclists announced their 2013 list of cycle friendly states, and Minnesota has fallen, from 2nd to 4th. Oh well.
Just prior, having cappuccino's with a friend (and the proprietor of this blog), we briefly touched on Minneapolis Mayor Rybak's recent bout of denial. Tony pointed out that Rybak and other city fathers still refer to Minneapolis as the #1 cycling city in the U.S. But we're not. We lost that spot. To Portland. We're #2.
But we may not be #2 for long. If we don't start making a lot more progress a lot faster we'll find ourselves dropping like a rock. Chicago, Washington DC, Seattle, Tucson, New York City, Memphis, Austin TX, and others aren't nipping at our heals - their getting ready to jump past us and leave us in their dust. It's not inconceivable that we could fall out of the top 10. Ouch.
For some perspective though, consider that not a single one of these cities, not Portland, not Minneapolis, not Chicago, even ranks outside of our hallowed borders. The Copenhagenize Index of Bicycle Friendly Cities for 2013 found only one North American city that made the top 20. And that was Montreal. Canada! So much for using weather as an excuse.
This is all good news though. Most politicians, those people who take our money and make choices on how to spend it, don't like to lead. Or at least by much. They get uncomfortable leading. Leading means accountability. It means having nobody else to blame things on.
There's a saying that success has a million fathers but failure is an orphan. The problem is that if something does fail, someone, somewhere, will figure out who the father is, blab all over, and politicians don't like that. So most are cautious about taking the risks necessary to be a leader.
Our dropping in the rankings and having other U.S. cities and states getting ready to eat our lunch may not do much for our collective ego, but it does give the money spenders some cover. If something goes south they can blame it on all of the other cities that were doing the same thing. And they can argue, rightly, that they had to beef up our cycling facilities or we'd be left behind. And that provides them with some comfort. And that will lead to a greater willingness and desire to produce better cycling facilities. And while we may have a bruised ego, at least we'll be able to sooth it by getting on our bike and enjoying a more pleasant and safe ride to Quixotic for a very good cappuccino.
WA
Friday, April 26, 2013
Call for Designers
In order to fund some of the non-profit and volunteer activities for Minneapolize Design, we want to introduce a line of tee shirts - and maybe stickers, spoke cards, etc.
The plan is to introduce ten new tee designs per year. The only criteria for the design will be some specific reference to Minneapolize and/or citizen cycling in general. The intent of the shirts will be also be to co-market the products to enable designers to market their work to a broader audience. Though still in the thought phase, we could anticipate something like: "Designers name for Minneapolize".
Initially, the tees will be marketed on our still being developed online store "Shop Minneapolize".
To "apply" please send an email to (Naseem Rafiei or Tony Desnick) minneapolize@gmail.com telling us of your interest and we'll get back to you with instructions about how to get us samples of your work. Depending on how many people contact us, we will "jury" the samples and select up to 10 designers for the 2013 editions.
the deadline for getting samples of your work to us is May 29, 2013.
Interested? Please get in touch with us:
The plan is to introduce ten new tee designs per year. The only criteria for the design will be some specific reference to Minneapolize and/or citizen cycling in general. The intent of the shirts will be also be to co-market the products to enable designers to market their work to a broader audience. Though still in the thought phase, we could anticipate something like: "Designers name for Minneapolize".
Initially, the tees will be marketed on our still being developed online store "Shop Minneapolize".
To "apply" please send an email to (Naseem Rafiei or Tony Desnick) minneapolize@gmail.com telling us of your interest and we'll get back to you with instructions about how to get us samples of your work. Depending on how many people contact us, we will "jury" the samples and select up to 10 designers for the 2013 editions.
the deadline for getting samples of your work to us is May 29, 2013.
Interested? Please get in touch with us:
The Minneapolize Challenge - Again
Earlier this winter we issued a challenge to ride your bicycle to work for the first time and let us know about the experience.
Looking back, it was a tall order to ask for a "first" in the dead of winter. Still, we got several emails outlining the bike commuting experiences of Twin Cities bike commuters. Great stories about support from employers for parking, showers and changing facilities. And of the exhileration of riding in the winter for fun and for transportation.
In spite of our complaints here, both Minneapolis and St. Paul did a good job keeping trails and paths clear of snow. Temperatures largely stayed above 10 degrees (the lower threshold for riding for the author....me) and while winter lasted entirely too long, we made it to what today looks like our first day of summer. Yay!
So, we are re-issueing the challenge. If you live within 8 miles of work (or longer if you're more adventurous) just:
I can promise that if you approach this with open eyes and minds, you will enjoy the ride and might just become a commuter cyclist. If you have read the blog posts, you are all too familiar with our position on riding vis-à-vis health, saving money, fun and community (the local biking community seems to love caffeine and beer - go figure). So if this first challenge ride becomes a norm for you, I can promise you'll be thinner, wealthier, happier and healthier. Is that so bad?
Ride. Tell us about it.
The Minneapolize Challenge
TD
Looking back, it was a tall order to ask for a "first" in the dead of winter. Still, we got several emails outlining the bike commuting experiences of Twin Cities bike commuters. Great stories about support from employers for parking, showers and changing facilities. And of the exhileration of riding in the winter for fun and for transportation.
In spite of our complaints here, both Minneapolis and St. Paul did a good job keeping trails and paths clear of snow. Temperatures largely stayed above 10 degrees (the lower threshold for riding for the author....me) and while winter lasted entirely too long, we made it to what today looks like our first day of summer. Yay!
So, we are re-issueing the challenge. If you live within 8 miles of work (or longer if you're more adventurous) just:
- Ride to and from work
- Comment here about your first experience
I can promise that if you approach this with open eyes and minds, you will enjoy the ride and might just become a commuter cyclist. If you have read the blog posts, you are all too familiar with our position on riding vis-à-vis health, saving money, fun and community (the local biking community seems to love caffeine and beer - go figure). So if this first challenge ride becomes a norm for you, I can promise you'll be thinner, wealthier, happier and healthier. Is that so bad?
Ride. Tell us about it.
The Minneapolize Challenge
TD
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
The Bicycle - The Ultimate Medical Device
Yesterday I was at a conference entitled "Finland - Gateway to Russia". On hand were Renè Nyberg, former Finnish Ambassador to Russia, Jukka Pietikäinen, Finland's general consul in New York and 3rd District Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen.
They each "pitched" from their own area of expertise and among the things Rep. Paulsen discussed was Minnesota's leading position in the Medical Technology world, particularly Medical Devices.
He described the industry, naming the biggies who are HQ'd or who have large facilities here - Medtronic, Boston Scientific, St. Jude. But he also mentioned the hundreds of smaller companies that include an engineer, designer, entrepreneur etc. He said that per capita, "Minnesota has more med-tech companies than anywhere else in the world." We are a med-tech mecca.
Prior to the beginning of the conference, I had a conversation with Rep. Paulsen about politics, former Congressman Ramstad, gridlock in Washington and (of course) cycling. I was hoping he would listen and work to support any funding legislation that would promote safety and broader access to safe cycling. Turns out he was a cyclist and rides in the Twin Cities and near his suburban home.
Upon hearing this, I invited him to ride with me so I could help him understand what works and what doesn't in our "vast" cycling infrastructure. I'm not holding my breath but I'll remind him of the invite a few times anyway. One never knows how things will turn out.
After hearing him comment that Minnesota was the med-tech champion of the world, I got to thinking about cycling. This led me quickly to the realization that my bicycle is a medical device. The benefits of cycling are widely understood and acknowledged to be real.
But don't for a minute underestimate the value to our health of cycling often. For fun. For transportation. And for exercise. Pound for pound it's also the least expensive medical device on the market.
AD
They each "pitched" from their own area of expertise and among the things Rep. Paulsen discussed was Minnesota's leading position in the Medical Technology world, particularly Medical Devices.
He described the industry, naming the biggies who are HQ'd or who have large facilities here - Medtronic, Boston Scientific, St. Jude. But he also mentioned the hundreds of smaller companies that include an engineer, designer, entrepreneur etc. He said that per capita, "Minnesota has more med-tech companies than anywhere else in the world." We are a med-tech mecca.
Pacemaker
Prior to the beginning of the conference, I had a conversation with Rep. Paulsen about politics, former Congressman Ramstad, gridlock in Washington and (of course) cycling. I was hoping he would listen and work to support any funding legislation that would promote safety and broader access to safe cycling. Turns out he was a cyclist and rides in the Twin Cities and near his suburban home.
Upon hearing this, I invited him to ride with me so I could help him understand what works and what doesn't in our "vast" cycling infrastructure. I'm not holding my breath but I'll remind him of the invite a few times anyway. One never knows how things will turn out.
Medical devices
After hearing him comment that Minnesota was the med-tech champion of the world, I got to thinking about cycling. This led me quickly to the realization that my bicycle is a medical device. The benefits of cycling are widely understood and acknowledged to be real.
- Cycling is good for your heart.
- Cycling is good for your waistline.
- Cycling is good for your coordination.
- Cycling often will lengthen your life.
- Cycling is good for your state of mind and mental health.
- Cycling is good for your immune system.
- Cycling reduces stress - commonly known to promote disease.
- Cycling is fun. It makes you smile inside.....and out
But don't for a minute underestimate the value to our health of cycling often. For fun. For transportation. And for exercise. Pound for pound it's also the least expensive medical device on the market.
AD
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