009jim

This forum is full of heated debate about cyclists vs cars and I have some thoughts on this. If you live in a city where the facilities for cyclists are lacking then you'll find yourself having to share the road with cars. If significant numbers of cyclists become aggressive and demand more of the road, the car drivers, who are usually in a majority will likely not support initiatives that improve cycle amenities. However, where I live, we have a different scenario. Paths for cyclists are pretty good and getting better every year. Cyclists have plenty of room and most of us don't have any confrontation with cars. Also the car drivers don't have a problem because there are no cyclists delaying them. Hence, most motorists also support our city council initiatives to build better facilities for cycling. Even if they don't support it, they are probably neutral.

So my point is that it probably makes sense to be respectful and courteous around cars with the assumption that, over time, attitudes to cyclists will improve and this will lead to improvements like wider roads and extra lanes for cyclists. Eventually there will be less cars on the road if cycling is seen to be a pleasant alternative. Where I live, cycling is great fun. The gratings on the roads are bike friendly. Car drivers seem to make a real effort to protect cyclists from harm, and the city is building bridges and special tracks just for the cyclists.

SCROUDS

You're missing it. The main driver for more cycle facilities are more cyclists.

If you have lots of cyclists sharing the road, the drivers will support facilities to get them out of their way. There needs to be a spark, a start, and that's hardcore cyclists taking their right to the road. Facilities will follow the numbers.

Bekologist

keep an eye on NYC. largest daily ridership of any city in north america. also, keep an eye on cities with high ridership like minneapolis, portland, vancouver BC, denver for trends in north american communities that support and encourage ridership.

nirvana was a grunge band.

rando

No Bicycle Nirvana, but I managed to find Dave Grohl on a Harley.

Artkansas 

I thought it was the street near San Diego, where all the automobile junk yards are.

Seattle Forrest

Whether this has been true up 'til now or not, I think the main driver getting people out of cars and onto bikes ( for short, and especially for urban, trips ) is going to be the price of gasoline vs inflation.

CommuterRun

This is the de facto purpose of bicycle facilities. Moving bicycles out of the way of motor vehicles. Any safety enhancements they may add are merely coincidental.

slagjumper

Allocation of resources to car vs bike improvement is a great example of why the majority should not always get their way. On my commute there are times when cars pass me and I pass cars, but in the end I get home before I would if I took the car. What's the big deal? Delay and traffic go hand in hand. Patience is still a virtue. Motorists will have to adjust or their adrenal systems will release more cortisol and slowly kill their hearts.

kludgefudge

Buddy, just because Florida sucks and is, by the sounds of things, just about the least cycle friendly place in the whole goddamn world, does not mean the prime motivator for the implementation of cycling facilities everywhere is just to get bikes out of the way of cars. I admit that it may be true where you live, indeed the evidence in this case in in your favor, what with the new mandated bike lane use law etc, and thats a bad thing. The fact is though, that in more, *ahem* ,progressive areas of North America, the main reason bike infrastructure is implemented really is to make cycling a more realistic option for more people.

CommuterRun

No, it is true everywhere that in regards to bike lanes cyclist safety is merely coincidental. My position on the de facto purpose of bike lanes being to move cyclists out of the way of cars is not new. This is a position I have held for years. You can see that by going back through the archives and looking at some of my old posts. The recent passage of the bike lane only law in FL has no bearing on that.

gcottay

Actually, some dedicated facilities are designed by and for riders.

SCROUDS

I think for this to be better understood, politics comes in to play. That includes everything, from soothing the ruffled motorist feathers to playing into the cycling constitutancy. It really is all about numbers. You need enough to capture attnetion. If you get other people on your side, that's better. Even if they are the pissed off motorists.

CommuterRun

And I'm sure they are well meaning people.

noisebeam

Who also motor and may think like motorists.