Dutch kids, Mamdani and car culture, bus cuts, and more – BikePortland

Hi friends (and everyone else).

10 days post-surgery and I’m still just slogging along. The silver lining of my leg not feeling super good is that I don’t really go anywhere or do much, so I had a lot of time last week to follow the transportation bill shenanigans. I’m really hoping I make good progress this week and feel good enough to be at Bike Happy Hour on Wednesday. In fact, I’m committing to that right now: I’ll see you in the plaza on Wednesday! We’ll unveil our new banners and pass out our new, 20th anniversary commemorative stickers!

Here are the most notable stories that came across my desk in the past seven days…

Still public, for now: The jaw-dropping attempt by Republicans to sell of millions of acres of public lands — including many choice Oregon cycling routes — to private developers is off the table. (Politico)

Socialism and car culture: There are many amazing takeaways from Zohran Mamdani’s epic win over Andrew Cuomo in the NYC mayoral primary, but perhaps none more interesting than how car ownership factored in. (Jalopnik)

Touring, then take cover: Imagine being on an adventure bike tour with your dog when suddenly you are forced to dodge missile strikes. That’s what happened to a Chilean man who was cycling through Iran. (Times of Israel)

Tough times ahead: Industry experts say the next several years will be very rocky in the U.S. bicycle business due to continued uncertainty around tariffs and weak market demand. (Financial Times)

Not our problem: In this op-ed, a bicycle industry leader says massive online retailers like Amazon need to take more responsibility for selling cheap, low-quality e-bikes that leave customers holding the bag. (Bicycle Retailer)]

Don’t cut buses: With the disappointment in Salem, this article hit a little too close to home. It explains why cutting bus service is such a bad idea. (Metro)

Everyone gets a woonerf: Can’t believe Washington beat us to the nation’s first “woonerf law” that will make shared-street conditions easier to implement. (Streetsblog USA)

Freedom to move: Dutch kids are the happiest says a new UNICEF report because they have so much freedom of movement. But how is it possible for them to be able to walk and bike everywhere without a parent? Because they have so few cars mucking their lives up. (CNN)

Urbanist icon gets his due: Portlander Iain Mackenzie got a profile in a local paper for many reasons, but also, “for breezy [social media] updates on an ever-changing saga of zoning plans, zoning plans, cute out-on-the-town queer content, insider shade, and zoning plans.” (Portland Mercury) 

Thanks to everyone who sent in links this week. The Monday Roundup is a community effort, so please feel free to send us any great stories you come across.