The new issue of Mo Mag is supposedly their Buyer’s Guide but it’s also jampacked with Bike Culture and reports on Safe Streets politics. It’s awesome.
They have a fairly long profile of Mark Gorton, a multi-talented biz whiz who’s behind a lot of NYC’s recent safe streets projects. It’s inspiring. Lots of good quotes that seemed more striking than usual. The changes in sustainability seem to be doing to cities what Disney did to Time’s Square. Well, that’s not a good example: but it appears a big transformation for the better is under way. (In the case of Times Square it’s not entirely obvious that drugs’n’hookers are worse than “safe” corporate hysteria.) The reign of the car is over in the US city. It didn’t work. It blew up even at the time. Dysfunction glossed over, all the way.
I have pals who are transit gurus who have to pay the city’s bills. One has a slightly different take. I recall his conclusion is that mass transit does work in urban areas but nowhere else. So there’s still that problem. The US has and needs cars mostly because it’s so big and sprawling. Otherwise, bikes is great. Small scale and mass transit combine to give life to cities.
***
The Buyer’s Guide is huge. It kicks off with a spread showing the types of citybikes: a rainbow of variety. More inspiring.
***
Then there’s its main editorial: “Women Lead the Way.” It is indeed a time of bold — and effective — change.
Thinking back to the 60’s there was a lot of trying new things, but the methodologies were undisciplined. Today’s method of community organizing, grants, business plans and boards seems to be working. Outcome-based action. Sure, there were committees back in the 60’s. I suppose this side-note doesn’t really relate to women. They drove a lot of 60’s action. Maybe today’s scene seems actually finally really inclusive AND professional. Powerful tools are available to those who want to use them: that is, the computer and cam-phone.
***
In their article about Tucson bike culture I noticed a kid was wearing a wide-brimmed hat UNDER his bike helmet. He had holes in the brim to run the helmet straps through. Shade. Since it’s wrecking the hat as it is, maybe he has cut the crown away and now just has a helmet with a wide brim all around. Goofy perhaps but not in the sunny heat!
https://momentummag.com/
