On The Road

Because I am in the auto industry, many of my customers and friends ask me what kind of car I drive and which car would I buy.

My column last month reviewed the concept of protected bikeways, which embody a different philosophy from the thinking that the best way to achieve cycling safety is for bicyclists to behave like motorists and share the road.

courtesy of Jaguar
The 2019 Jaguar iPace offers a range of 240 miles on a single charge. A direct competitor with Tesla’s Model X, the iPace has a base price of $80,050.

No matter what the future of automobile transportation may hold, Tesla will always be remembered as the first successful company to offer totally electric long-distance luxury automobiles.

courtesy of Ford
The new Ford Fusion Energi – a plug-in hybrid – only gets 17 miles per charge, but the vehicle recharges when braking.

We recently received a suggestion from a Town Crier reader that we write about differences between plug-in hybrid cars and full-electric vehicles driven completely by battery-powered electric motors.

Courtesy of BMW
Drive28i comes with a 2-liter BMW twin-turbo four-cylinder engine that produces 228 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque.

For most young families and for most purposes, there is nothing better than a small five-door crossover.

Interior space can easily be configured from four passengers with luggage to make room for those bulky items purchased on that trip to the discount big-box store.

Chris Hoeber/Special to the Town Crier
The protected bike lane on Castro Street in Mountain View was installed to allow the students at Graham Middle School to safely navigate the intersection.

When I started cycling in 1972, there were fewer bicyclists and cars, and roadway design did not explicitly take cyclists’ needs into account. In fact, many of the first bike lanes were little more than white lines on the road, where the surface of the “lane” was literally unusable.

Due to the energy crisis at the time, interest in cycling began to take off, and John Forrester developed the concept of “vehicular cycling.” According to Wikipedia, he became a cycling advocate after being ticketed in Palo Alto for riding in the street instead of a recently legislated separate bikeway. He contested the ticket and won. “Vehicular cycling” simply means “driving your bicycle as if it were a motor vehicle.” All of the tips I have shared regarding lane positioning, signaling, etc., are consistent with this philosophy and have been proven over time by cyclists on the road the world over.