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Articles by Elly Blue

Elly Blue is a writer and bicycle activist based in Portland, Ore. She blogs at Taking the Lane and is writing a book about Bikenomics that comes out in 2013. You can also find her on Twitter.

All Articles

  • Pedaling away from the health care crisis

    This is the third column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. In the United States, we have the most expensive health care system in the world. We collectively invest more than 15 percent of our GDP — that’s around $2 trillion, or $5,700 per person — into health care every year. The […]

  • Tearing down urban freeways to make room for a new bicycle economy

    This is the second column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Here’s one way to fund bicycle infrastructure: Stop building freeways in cities. Better yet, tear down the ones we already have. Cities are starting to catch on that becoming bicycle friendly is one of the best investments they can make. Cities […]

  • How bicycling will save the economy (if we let it)

    This is the first column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Imagine getting a $3,000 to $12,000 tax rebate this year. Now imagine it coming again and again. Every year it grows by around a thousand dollars. Imagine how this would change your daily life. Sounds like a teabagger’s wet dream, but […]

  • Cyclists shouldn’t ‘share the road,’ they should have their own

    A physically separated bike lane in Vancouver, B.C. Looks nice, right?Photo: Paul KruegerIt’s long been the most controversial issue in bicycling: Should people on bikes ride in traffic with cars, using the same infrastructure and following the same procedures (a style of riding known as “Vehicular Cycling”)? Should we ride on the sidewalks and off-road […]