Everyone.
Who feels welcome on the road? That depends. The answer should be: Everyone. But it often isn’t.
Following from my thoughts yesterday about being yelled at for NOT using a bicycle lane, here’s an interesting look at who belongs on the road from Commute Orlando.
Our problem in the U.S. is that we suffer from a tax-supported and industry-promoted automobile culture that encourages us to make the car the king of the road. This culture must change.
Comments 7
It’s an interesting question… but can this culture practically change given the consequences of urban sprawl?
Posted 05 Nov 2008 at 1:59 pm ¶Happy… Good question. The short answer is no. I think we have to begin changing pockets, e.g. downtown Springfield. We need to begin attracting people back to higher-density living patterns. And for many Americans, what’s coming (e.g. peak oil) is going to be painful.
Posted 05 Nov 2008 at 2:04 pm ¶Well it’s a good point. I wonder if we also need to transform the vehicle culture… air compressor cars, electric… alot of exciting options out there…
Posted 05 Nov 2008 at 9:51 pm ¶Having moved from the UK where there’s no choice but to use the roads to over here in NL where the cycle paths provide a wonderful, and much better alternative, I think there is a logical error with the argument.
We should stop accepting that “as good as on the road” is the gold standard for a cycle path. Over here we have cycle paths which provide a much better experience than if we were cycling on the road.
Roads are not necessarily the best place to be as cyclists. You have to stop for traffic lights etc. on roads, while you skip past them on the bike path.
Having said that, residential areas just have the road. That belongs to everyone. We regularly watch the neighbour’s 3 year old riding a tricycle with his one year old brother in a trailer behind it.
Posted 06 Nov 2008 at 2:16 pm ¶David… I agree that the NL system is better. The chance we’ll ever build anything like it in the U.S. are slim to none. Like the UK, we have no choice most of the time but to use the road. That being the case, I think we’re safer when we claim our share of it.
Posted 06 Nov 2008 at 2:33 pm ¶Oh, indeed. If you’re stuck on roads, then you do have to claim your bit. That’s just what I used to do when I was in the UK, and it’s just what the three year old who lives opposite does right here.
However, outside of residential areas where people drive at walking pace you won’t see many cyclists.
It’s really unfortunate that the whole of the English speaking world is stuck like this. The result is that they have both the lowest rates of cycling and the lowest amount of provision for cycling. These two things are linked.
Posted 07 Nov 2008 at 1:14 am ¶David… An interesting socio-cultural question: Why is the English-speaking world like this?
Posted 07 Nov 2008 at 8:26 am ¶