Want better bike lanes? So do we.
We’ve seen it. It doesn’t require new technology or billions of dollars. But many of us just haven’t seen good infrastructure. Why don’t we have good bike infrastructure when bikes cost $100s of dollars but cars cost $10,000s of dollars?
We want to help people
- see what good bike infrastructure looks like.
- understand and overcome some silly objections to bike infrastructure.
We want to act
3. to promote the creation/expansion of good bike infrastructure.
4. in a way that cooperates with others and empowers people.
Can you safely and easily complete your daily tasks by bike? or is using a car the only safe and practical option?
City planning has been stuck in a rut. Car centric design has made every other option impractical
Can the students at your local schools safely and easily bike to school, store their bikes securely and return home without serious risk of injury? Most citizens up to age 16 cannot legally drive a motor vehicle. Where is the safe transportation infrastructure that allows them to get between school and home?
We have a car network that goes everywhere. But for some reason we’ve done this to the exclusion of pedestrians and people on bikes. Why don’t the bike lanes take us everywhere we need to go? The Network effect. – The more useful places a bike network connects, the more likely people will choose the bike network. Its value increases with its number of connections.
Imagine a bridge that only reaches half way across a river? or a sidewalk that leads to a brick wall. Foolish, wasteful, unnecessary.
In the same way many “bike lane projects” are incomplete. They don’t connect they strand people on bikes
Cost of infrastructure. Bike lanes are relatively cheap compared to infrastructure for single occupancy vehicles.
Consider that a bike lane can move roughly 3-4x as many people as a lane of motor vehicles. Then consider that bike lanes are narrower and don’t have to support as much weight. This simplifies their construction and reduces their cost.
There is a spectrum of different kinds of bike lanes from missing to dangerous to inadequate to All Ages and Abilities.
Other infrastructure is needed as well. – bike racks, lockers, shelters. traffic signals, repair stations and more.
There is an economic argument to be made for bike lanes. People riding bikes has a health benefit, a pollution reduction benefit, a social benefit
In North America bikes have been marketed as recreational. “ride in circles in a park for recreation” “ride down a mountain for recreation”. This has caused some to see cycling as entertainment, and not the vital and affordable form of transportation that they are in other locations like the Netherlands.
Cycling is very efficient. – more efficient than walking, driving, buses, swimming etc.
People can ride much farther than they would walk.
People can carry much more on a bike than they could
Action we are taking.
- We want to review existing bike infrastructure so it can be used, and improved.
- Videoing bike lanes
- Inviting reports of bike lane deficiencies
- Identifying gaps in the infrastructure
- Summarizing this for city governments to take action
- Volunteering to assist in practical ways.
- We want to voice our support of local government and other entities that support and create active transportation infrastructure.
- We want to encourage government to follow good examples and build great bike lane infrastructure.j
How you can help.
1. Learn about good bike infrastructure.
2. Write letters to leaders who can influence the expansion of good bike infrastructure.
3. Record And/or review bike lane videos
4. Record/compile bike lane deficiencies / gaps.
5. Other ideas you have?