Thoughts & Deeds

The launch of Google Maps’ “Bike There” feature has been a pretty big deal in Portland. After poking around on it a bit, Joseph Rose from the Oregonian asked his Twitter followers if it seemed a little “beta” to them. I replied that it was “very beta” and was even published, though my follow-up tweet wasn’t published and my real point was lost. It wasn’t until I was on a long ride over the weekend that I realized exactly why the Bike There feature felt beta to me. … more

How often have you heard someone say “Well, I need room to haul stuff…” when contemplating a new car purchase? This mythical “stuff” becomes the rationalization for buying an SUV or station wagon with enough room to haul around large objects. People poo-poo the Prius or similar sized cars as not having enough room for people, “stuff”, pets, etc. The only solution to this “stuff” problem is clearly to get a larger vehicle! … more

Gas, as we know, is becoming ridiculously expensive. Add that to what we now know about global warming and we see many people clamoring to ditch their old cars to buy new hybids. I know I sure did it, trading my Mazda 3 hatchback in for a Prius last year when my Mazda lease ran out. Now that I’m used to getting 40-55 MPG, I know I’ll never buy another full-gasoline vehicle again. … more

In the last week I’ve driven my car 53 miles, ridden my bike 31 miles, and walked roughly 10 miles. I drove to work once, to Lake Oswego for a meeting, to Powell Butte for a hike, and to Hillsboro for softball games. That’s a lot more driving than I usually do, so I’ll have to go on a serious car diet for the next few weeks. I rode my bike to work three times and took my dog, Josie, for four bike rides. I took Josie for eight walks. … more