diff_lock2

I like to think that by aiding people with bike problems, and giving them advise I keep them riding. For this winter I helped a friend restore his bike, and he was very pleased with the result.

pinkrobe

My city [Calgary] has many designated "on-road" bike routes, and several hundred km of MUP that stretch all over the city. Still, finding a quick and safe route from one part of town to another can be challenging. Many of the bike routes are on busy community streets lined with parked cars, and there is no designated bike lane. The MUP is geared toward family activities within the community. IMHO it is too narrow [8' to accomodae two-way traffic], too twisting and poorly lit to make any kind of effective commuting route. The speed limit is officially 20 km/h, but the commutes I have made on the popular sections are upwards of 30 km/h, and I was almost constantly being passed by faster riders.

In our case, the MUP and on-road routes haven't worked out particularly well, so what's the solution? Most of the excuses I hear for not riding are about fear and convenience:
Fear of an accident
Fear of getting sweaty
Fear of ridicule
Fear of bike theft
Convenience of a vehicle
Convenience [actually the lack thereof] of changerooms and showers

To overcome these objections, we need some fundamental shifts in thinking at the municipal and corporate levels, not to mention in local society. The buildings downtown need to set aside more space for secure bike storage, and increase the number of change rooms and showers. My company is pretty good, and is one of the most progressive oil and gas companies in terms of bike-friendliness. Our secure bike room has space for 80 bikes, and takes up the equivalent of three or four car parking spaces. That's a pretty good ratio. Our change rooms aren't as good. We have 2 changing areas to handle 16 floors of people, and the last time I was in there, it looked like a Grade 9 boys' locker room. Ick. I keep all my clothing in a cabinet beside my desk, and change in unoccupied offices or the washroom on my floor.

I feel the city needs to work on integration instead of segregation. The current thought is to introduce bike lanes on some of the more direct routes into downtown. This is supposed to make cyclists feel better about riding in traffic, but I'm thinking it will produce an increased likelihood of injury for any cyclist who strays beyond the white line. Drivers here are fairly aggressive, and I'm betting that any biker who is in "their" lanes will be "fair game". A better approach would be to integrate cyclists into traffic more, and educate drivers and riders in how to treat each other with respect instead of fear...

tjspiel

European cities that have been successful in promoting bicycle commuting have done so with segregated bike lanes. I mean truly segregated with some sort of barrier (even just a series of narrow posts) between bike lanes and cars. More and more I'm convinced that mixing bikes and cars is a bad idea for everybody. It's done because it's cheap and easy.

I do agree that cyclists should learn how to ride in traffic and that motorists need to be tolerant of bikes in the streets but I don't think that is the real answer.

In Minneapolis there are a couple of "bikeways" that were constructed in old railroad right of ways and they are awesome. One of them cuts across the entire width of the city from the Mississippi into a neighboring suburb (St. Louis Park). There are some places that you need to stop but there are large stretches where you can just go, go, go. There's a highly visible bridge that's part of the bikeway. If I'm passing under it in a car with somebody new to the area, I always point it out just to let them know that these kinds of things are possible and that if built, people will use them. Aside from the practical benefit of getting bike traffic across a major roadway, the bridge gives visibility to a bikeway that would often go unnoticed by anyone who didn't realize it was there.

FWIW, getting from the Mississippi to the West side of the lakes is not a quick trip by car. You have to cross 35W and deal with the slow traffic around the lakes.

Itsjustb

+1 for leading by example--just get out and ride!

But I also agree with Cyclaholic:

The new trend in building suburbs in my area is to make them "multi-use", i.e. having the residential spaces (apartments, townhomes, houses) right next to the commercial development (grocery stores and such). On the surface, this seems like the perfect arrangement for "family" cycling, or at least transportational cycling. In reality, they've made these places virtually impossible for transportational cycling. The local development (called Brier Creek) has a 5-lane (2 each direction plus a center turn) road separating the residential portion from the businesses, and the speed limit is 45 mph. As an added bonus, there's only one traffic light to control traffic between the two portions; essentially you take your life in your hands trying to cross.

And, assuming you're brave/stupid/dedicated/etc. enough to attempt the crossing, there is exactly one bike rack in the entire business development (there's something like 100 stores). It's only there because Target stores always have a bike rack. There's even a freaking bike store in the development and it doesn't have a bike rack!

<edit>Yes, I ride my bike to this development anyway.

Navy_Chief

I have yet to find a bike rack anywhere in my community, much less a bike lane.. Typical roads here only extend about 10-12 inches beyond the white line, if even that much; in a lot of places it is literally white line then dirt and ditch. I have no choice but to ride in traffic. I can understand why there are virtually no other cyclists in the ares (at least that I have seen). I am still on the road everyday that I can and I am working on the mountain that separates me from work so I can commute and get more viability.

Chief

BA Commuter

I also agree with the just get out and do it comments. I also promote riding and it's numerous benefits at work.

I work for a large corporation that does nothing to promote or support cycling. However, they find money in the budget to spend money to provide heated shelters for smokers ! I'm planning to organize some activities during Bike to Work events, which are scheduled in May to help raise awareness and get people to give cycling and commuting to work a try.

macteacher

What a great idea. Being a high school teacher I have easy access to many students. Bike to work week passed last year with no events in mind. I figure if I brainstorm some activities with the student council we can really turn this into something meaningful!!

Thanks for that reminder of bike to work week in May

pinkrobe

Those cities in Europe have the advantage of very high fuel prices and the fact that most of them predate the widespread use of automobiles for daily travel. Further, they tend to be extremely compact, so most urban trips are a couple of km or less. Segregation is easier when more than 0.5% of the population rides their bikes to work or the store. If we had even 10% of all workers entering downtown by bike, I could see setting up separate lanes, but as it stands we have 900-1000 people riding in during the summer, and that drops to something like 300 from November to April. I'd love to see a doubling [trebling!] of the number of riders, but even that couldn't justify completely segregated lanes in a city of just over 1 million people.

genec

In light of the ever increasing fuel costs, I would expect our fuel costs to eventually get as as high as those in Europe, especially with the demands of China and India.

As far as the situation in Europe, read the following report to see how the decline of cycling in Europe between the 50's and 70's was reversed by government policies to promote cycling in certain areas in Europe and how for instance England contrasts other areas and how they lost considerable cycling rider share by doing nothing.

Here is the report: https://www.policy.rutgers.edu/facult...resistible.pdf

Cyclaholic

This is heartbreaking. Every new development like this is another lost opportunity to improve the situation. You need more than changes in planning and zoning, you need cultural change in your society, and that can take a generation or two (or more).

arctic hawk

I am adding my input to the municipality for planning of cycling routes. By this, I mean real routes for a bike commuter & not zig zagging through the nice quiet parts of the neighborhood.

wahoonc

Wouldn't have to zigzag through neighborhoods if they went back to the old grid system of laying out towns. Not real exciting but very effective for cycling. Also very efficient for lot layout.

Aaron

jcm

There will be no signifigant increase in ridership until:
A) gas reaches oh, say, $5 to $6 a gallon
B) current design infrastructure completely collapses under the load of traffic. As it is, we still manage.
C) and, drivers come to the conclusion that the over-stuffed four wheel easy chair they are sitting in isn't worth it. This is a big issue: Cars and SUV's are soooo comfortable these days that people actually don't feel the pain of idling in traffic. They do everything except have door-side dinner delivery on the freeways. Super sound systems, TV, GPS, total environment control, etc, etc... seals out the whole mess.
D) Communities actually give motion to Bike Plans, rather than lip service and minimal amenities.
E) Real Public Service Education on TV spots and radio. Education about bikes and drivers using the same roads is almost completely missing, and even the cops often don't know the laws in that area.
F) To me, this is most important: Avoid, at the risk of ruining everything else, ANY association with radical fascist groups like Critical Mass. There is nothing that will destroy public goodwill like that.

signed,
Cycling Truck Driver in the Seattle Area

pinkrobe

Wow! That is a great paper! For those who don't want to read it all, here's the abstract:
I can only dream of the day when we have cycling infrastructure to rival Europe's. Locally, we would need a moratorium on expansion of the city limits and a big shift in the mindset of municipal and provincial government. Still, it could happen in my lifetime. We have had many traffic-calming initiatives in the residential areas of the city center, but they are almost exclusively in the wealthiest areas, and are simply designed to keep drivers from short-cutting through the neighborhoods. There was also talk of an initiative to license cyclists, but I don't recall an education program for drivers being suggested.

After some consideration of my position on segregating cars and bikes, I guess I'm against being a second-class citizen when I'm on my bike, forced onto the side of the road and still in danger of being right-hooked at every intersection. The Euro way of separating cars and bikes obviously works, in part because it elevates cyclists and pedestrians above the auto. It's a little tough to wrap my mind around, despite the fact that I'm an avid cyclist.

tarwheel 

Just ride. That's the best way to promote cycling, assuming you aren't violating traffic laws, blocking lanes, etc. Personally, I think the thing that will encourage more people to bike commute, carpool, use mass transit, etc., is for gas prices to continue rising -- which I think they will. Mark my words, gas will top $4/gallon before this year is out. People become much more open to alternatives when the same old thing gets more and more expensive.

Scot_Gore

My city put together an "Alternative Transportion Task Force". It consists of representives from the existing Park, Transportation, Heath & HS citizen commissions and task force specific members representing transit, the disablity community, and the bicycle community (me). Well have recommendations for improving the utilization of Alternative Transit choices in the next couple of months. It will be a mix of public education, street and road improvements, and some dedicated bicycle infastructure. One of the nice things we've been able to bring to the cities attention is that you can meet the needs of cyclists AND address traffic management concerns at the same time.

We are a 3rd tier suburb in metro area that is about 5 tiers deep. One of the long time traffic problems are commuters who live in the 4th & 5th tiers using our residential neighborhood steets as cut through alternatives to freeways and other major roads. That generally means allot of volume and high speeds through the neighborhoods. There's not allot personal policing since it's not their neighborhood whose quality of life is being effected. They're just passing through. In reaction to the problem the city has been implementing traffic calming in a somewhat mish mash hodge podge way. Along come's the Alt Trans Taskforce and we are going to be able to wrap our recommendations about how to make the city more bike friendly with the recommendations concerning traffic calming into one big comprehensive plan that will help everybody, not just those who ride bikes.

If any of this sounds analogous to your circumstance, try the same approach. Make your city more bike friendly by addressing larger transportation problems beyond just a goal of getting more people on bikes.

Scot

coldfeet

+1 When anyone comments about my riding, I make a point to mention how much weight I've lost, the sanity I've gained, and the money I'ved saved.

powerhouse

As Maddyfish and others suggest, an effective way to promote bicycling is to get out and ride. This shows the presence of bicyclists and the alternatives that bicycling presents.

While training for long-distance cycling events, I promoted bicycling in the region of a Central Maine summer community by setting up bike tours. After setting up routes, putting up posters, and advertising by word of mouth, people showed up in groups of twenty at most. Some of them were avid cyclists while others weren't. I kept these tours up throughout the summer for over five years. I stopped the tours when I moved.

When I returned a year later to visit relatives, I discovered that people had a greater interest and involvement in bicycling. Had I started a trend?

powerhouse

Meanwhile, I was able to find a bicycling club in my city (Portland, ME) where members gather for monthly meetings as well as bicycling events. This club is primarily based on commuting and transportational cycling but other types of bicycling is accepted, too.

littlewaywelt

The oil companies may have their hands in politics (not too much locally), but it's their customers that give them the money to do it.

When are ppl are finally going to be able to admit that their use of gasoline amoung other things is getting our servicemen and women killed. Everyone seems to be against the war and want the troops home, but I don't see anyone driving any less.

littlewaywelt

Same here. When I tell ppl I save 13k a year by riding a bike there's a brief moment of epiphany before their "I can't-it's too hard" nature takes over again.

iqaro

Yes, best way is going out and ride, someplaces it's easier due to public policy on transportation. Here in Colombia there are a discouraging policy of car use by means of higher taxes on vehicles and fuel, and in some cities restriction on circulation in rush hour. Also since 2000 a better mass transit system was deployed. A no-car day in february was instated in Bogota and some other cities here, with mayor and other city officials hit TV time riding their bikes to work.....

Artkansas 

For many years, I just set a good example by riding.

Moving to Little Rock caused me to up the ante and I joined my local Bicycle Advocacy group. I think that the group has much more effect than the same number of people could as individuals setting good examples. Not only did I join, but now I'm on the board.

Our biggest achievement lately has been to get bicycles to be declared as transportation instead of just recreation by the state department of transportation. That opens a lot for project funding ect.

We also helped in the creation of the Big Dam Bridge, worlds longest bicycle/pedestrian bridge and are working with city and state officials to extend and improve local bike trails.

We also work with other local groups including the Bicycle Friendly Communties group. Safe Routes to School and LABs Road 1 courses. In addition, we set up booths at public events to inform the public about bicycle commuting and just raise public interest in bicycling in general.

And we ride in parades. Its a fun ride that doesn't compete with other local bike clubs, and also represents bicycles in a positive way to the public.

powerhouse

The State of Maine now has an office dealing with bicycling and bicycle transportation. Ever since, more attention has been given to bicycling and bicycle transportation projects.