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Build them and they will come (possibly)

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Build them and they will come (possibly)

Old 04-26-19, 11:58 AM
  #1  
atbman
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Build them and they will come (possibly)

https://www.theguardian.com/environm...cycle-counters

By the way, the Leeds Bradford route referred to is hilly
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Old 04-26-19, 12:24 PM
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mcours2006
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It's nice to see that in places outside of U.S. and Canada that cycling is alive and well, and thriving. Colour me green with envy.
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Old 04-27-19, 05:04 PM
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ironnerd
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We have a few Bike paths and Bike Lanes in my area. I use the very nice Bike Path (2 lane) to commute.
All the real cycle traffic around here, however, is on the rail trails.

Americans still see cycling as a pastime. Which is pretty silly really. There are so many times when it is faster and easier (and more fun) to bike somewhere. We'll need more infrastructure than just paths and lanes; we'll need places to store bikes (like actual bike garages or bike lockers) with security.
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Old 04-27-19, 08:19 PM
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Maelochs
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Originally Posted by ironnerd
We'll need more infrastructure than just paths and lanes; we'll need places to store bikes (like actual bike garages or bike lockers) with security.
Some areas have tried this, with bike lockers and showers for employees who cycle to work. it is a lot of expense for a small business and not many small businesses have room. Some large facilities can set aside space if they choose tom, probably.

Having proper facilities like lockers, secure lock-ups, and sanitation makes things a lot easier for riders.

Not sure if that increases the number of people who want to ride to work though.
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Old 04-28-19, 06:23 PM
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ironnerd
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As the OP said, "Build it and they will come (possibly)"

I work for a ... large company. Our parking lots are patrolled by armed guards. We do have showers (but I find being sweaty gets me out of a lot of pointless meetings). On a good day, I'll see a half-dozen bicycles on the racks. The guy who parks next to me on the rack rides a pretty nice composite bike and leaves all the lights and computers on it when he goes in. It has yet to disappear, so I guess bike security is not the issue.

Kind of a chicken / egg thing. Do the bike-friendly facilities come first, or people who wanna ride a bike to work? My money is on the latter.

One promising sign is that the city has started to install bike stations. Bike pump, a place to hang your bike and some park tools for quick repairs. We also have them at some train stations. I guess they are testing the waters. The new plan for the city does include more bike trails, but Smyrna is just a little piece of the Atlanta Metro.

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Old 04-29-19, 06:05 AM
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jon c. 
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Do countries that have large numbers of bike commuters have lockers and shower facilities?
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Old 04-29-19, 07:22 AM
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Meh, us riders and commuters will always be in the minority, we may as well get used to it. And as a minority you'll be pushed around and get plenty of hate. I wouldn't have it any other way.

In fact, if serious bicycling suddenly became the latest fad among "regular folk", I would probably find another hobby.
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Old 04-29-19, 10:46 AM
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Luckily where I work, we have showers and lockers. I keep my work clothes in the locker and try to do 20 miles on the way into work.
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