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NY Times' Bike Coverage Hasn't Changed For 100 Years


By

Ben Muessig

Published Nov 3, 2009

Modified Nov 3, 2009


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By

Ben Muessig

Published Nov 3, 2009

Modified Nov 3, 2009


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The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Times' cycling blog, Spokes, reports today that the paper's coverage of bike-related issues has remained strangely consistent over the past century. In the Gray Lady's 1890s "Gossip of the Cyclers" column — which was apparently the StreetsBlog.org of the McKinnley administration — the paper covered strikingly contemporary bike issues including reckless cyclists, brake-less bikes, and even concerns about bicycle access to the Brooklyn Bridge. In fact, the Times has covered each of these issues within the past few months. Though the Times no longer refers to bicycles as "the wheel" or fast cyclists as "scorchers," it's remarkable that more than 100 years later, both the paper — and the city — are still arguing the same topics.

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bike lanes

bikes

new york times

scorchers


Ben Muessig

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