It's Award Season - For Cycling.

That's right, WABA's Bicycle Choice Awards noted a few local figures and businesses as being #bikefriendly.  Councilman #davidgrosso won, along with #districttaco and #REI.  I have to wonder about the award to the #MStreetcycletrack.  It is still a work in progress, or a loading zone, depending on your view.  I have encountered a number of motor vehicles in the M Street lanes, including a #supershuttle van whose driver was yelling at someone on a cell phone while he stood on the sidewalk ignoring scowls and fist shakes from a number of cyclists.  Surely he did not come to receive the award on behalf of the cycle track.
I want to see the equivalent of the Rotten Tomato Awards for bicycling.  Like something for the police who let their horses befoul the bike lane.  A golden shovel perhaps.  An award to the driver captured making an illegal u-turn on camera on Pennsylvania Avenue the most number of times in a year.  I'm thinking of something festive.  Like deportation or banishment if they still do that.
http://www.waba.org/blog/2015/02/the-winners-of-the-washington-area-bicyclists-choice-awards/

Cities, including Washington, are moving to #VisionZero, a plan to eliminate deaths as the result of traffic accidents.  The biggest factor in traffic deaths remains speed - whether the accident is car on car, car on pedestrian, or car on bike.  So in Ireland, there is a move to reduce speeds.  The bill is named for Jake, a boy who was killed by a speeding motorist while riding his bike.  This would obviously help limit deaths in the U.S. too.  #duh
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/liz-odonnell/why-jakes-law-on-speed-limits-is-the-fastest-way-to-cut-road-death-numbers-31010063.html

#Cargobikes could be the next big thing, so say Chris and Melissa Bruntlett in Grist.  Why?  Most things that get delivered can be delivered by a cargo bike, and five other reasons make this post very compelling.
http://grist.org/cities/6-reasons-why-cargo-bikes-are-the-next-big-thing/

In the category of super optimistic inventions, here's an app that aims to prevent cars from hitting bikes.  It sounds like a great idea, if it were mandatory for motorists.  The cyclist and the motorist both must have the app for it to work.  Once downloaded, it warns drivers about the presence of a cyclist.  Nice, but the last thing I want is a driver looking at his cell phone to see what it chirped as he whizzes toward a cyclist.
http://abc7news.com/technology/new-app-aims-to-prevent-bicycle-involved-accidents/522887/

And we could all learn how to cycle in style by looking at the images of Hollywood's Golden Era.  Lana Turner knew how cool it looked to roll your pant leg up and go ride.

So, if I see you in the bike lane, and you are carrying an award trophy in an obvious effort to attract attention, let's be smug.
Elisa P.