As we’ve been discussing recently, it’s not easy to be a cyclist on the streets of an American city – cars and bikes are too often competing for the same space, bikes are travelling on roads that have not been designed with them in mind (e.g. bike lanes that place riders squarely in the dreaded door zone), and patience is seemingly thin on the ground as everybody rushes to get wherever it is they’re going.
In his recent Velonews column titled “Crowded streets can lead to dangerous sidewalks”, Charles Pelkey suggests that it’s precisely this kind of ambiguously shared space that makes travel that much more dangerous for everyone:
Urban streets around the world are becoming meaner….The problem is exacerbated when those who would normally feel comfortable riding a bike find themselves worrying about their own safety and opt to get in a car. Ensconced in a motorized steel cage, that potential cyclist now adds to the crowding on the streets, instead of reducing it. That further adds to traffic and, in turn, may cause a slightly braver cyclist to reconsider his choice, which in turn adds to crowding.…In order to limit risks for cyclists and pedestrians, urban environments must provide reasonable – and generally segregated – options for foot, pedal-powered and motorized traffic.
Pelkey describes the cycle perpetuated by inadequate infrastructure: more people feel unsafe riding their bikes, so more people choose cars, so more people feel unsafe, so more people choose cars.
If he’s right, then in order for cycling to be a viable option for all but the very bravest (or craziest), we need to make more bike-only space available by allocating public funds for this kind of project. Because by the same reasoning, as the appropriate infrastructure becomes available, more people will feel safe riding their bikes, so more people will choose to ride, so more people will feel safe, so more people will chose to ride. Roads become less crowded and therefore, safer for everyone. A new kind of cycle…
Photo courtesy of Paul Evans.
But better infrastructure can lead to more than one kind of new cycle. In addition to changing patterns of behaviour, it also can also make people consider bicycles in a new way. As a recent ad campaign by a certain car share company illustrates, there’s a misperception that it’s really difficult to transport anything except yourself on a bicycle. Of course, your standard two-wheeler is built for just one person, but there are all kinds of baskets, racks, and trailers that can be attached to a bicycle, as well as cargo bikes that come with the carrying capacity built in; without too much trouble, you can find a way to transport anything from your briefcase to your kids to a dinette set on or with your bicycle. The limiting factor when it comes to getting around every day on a bicycle is not the bicycle – it’s the kind of roads that are available for use…and occasionally, the weather.
What factors most into your decision to ride a bike or use another mode of transportation? Would improved infrastructure impact your choices? Or the kind of riding you do? If there were more/better bike lanes, would you be more inclined to ride more? Maybe with a folding bike that easily combines with other forms of transportation? Or would you consider getting a trailer or a cargo bike?
Happy Hallowe’en! Trick or Treat with your Bicycle
These cyclists clearly needed to eat some more candy.
Today is Hallowe’en, perhaps my favourite holiday in the entire calendar year – a reason to wear a costume *AND* eat lots of candy? Yes please! And in celebration, I thought we could look at ways to combine one of my favourite holidays with one of my favourite things: BICYCLES!!
BICYCLE TRICKS
Hallowe’en is a great time to break out your bag of bicycle tricks – no-hands, no-feet trackstands, endos, wheelies. Check out this crazy wheelie video on Youtube – this guy has got the endless wheelie going, and he’s on a Montague Paratrooper Pro folding bike:
Seems pretty tricky to me.
You’ve also got to be pretty tricky, or at least have some crazy carving skillz, to pull something like this off:
Photo courtesy of gamjams.com.
BICYCLE TREATS
There’s not a lot of bicycle-themed candy out there, but if you’re lucky, you might find these:
And, of course, for the home baker, the bicycle cookie is also an option.
They look a little like Hubway bicycles, don't they?
BICYCLE COSTUMES
David Byrne with a Montague folding bike
I’ve never seen anyone pull off a bicycle costume, or a person-on-a-bicycle, but I have some ideas about how to pull it off. To me, the most promising, if you want to be the bike yourself, is to think of each body part as a different part of the bike. Here’s what I mean: head=front wheel, neck=fork, torso=main triangle, thighs=rear triangle, below-the-knees=back wheel. It’s obviously still very conceptual at this point, but I think it’s a good place to start. If anyone does actually try this, please post some photos…I’d be dying to see it. And if you wanted to be a folding bike, you’d just have to bend at the waist.
For the less ambitious, or the busier, you can check out these less time intensive bicycle-themed costumes. My favourite is #3 – David Byrne, and not just because he’s wearing that awesome plaid outfit. Just grab your Montague folding bike, and you’ll be all set to go. (Fun fact! In The Bicycle Diaries, David Byrne travelled the world with a Montague folding bike).
WHATEVER YOU GET UP TO TONIGHT, HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWE’EN!!