Comments on: Car Culture and Cold Weather

By: Steve J. Moore

Steve J. Moore — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:38:23 +0000

I’m glad you brought up the point about some people seeing bikers as a “fringe” movement of sorts. I think that’s frankly silly. I don’t bike to work myself because of traffic concerns but I consider myself an advocate of better transportation options, including bike paths.

By: Andy Cline

Andy Cline — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:31:33 +0000

David… I think you’re right about all of that. I would add one thing: The pervasive car culture in the U.S. also prevents people from “seeing” other transportation options as workable.

By: David Hembrow

David Hembrow — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:47:45 +0000

I understand that 40% of all journeys in the US are under 2 miles. That’s an easy distance to cycle in almost any weather.

Given the stats I’ve seen which suggest that average journey lengths are barely any different in the US, the UK and the Netherlands, I’m not sure the sprawl is really the issue that it is made out to be. Clearly it prevents some people from cycling at all, ever, but it isn’t what makes just 1% of journeys take place on a bicycle in the US.

Rather, the design of the roads and the residential and shopping areas in the US (and UK) makes people drive. If design is hostile to cycling then people take the very obvious hint that they would be better off in a car.

The much higher crime rate in the UK and USA compared with the Netherlands is also important. The Netherlands has much lower rates of murder, mugging, public drunkenness, drug abuse – the last one may surprise you given the lack of understanding of how the drugs policy works here.

It makes for public spaces which don’t feel threatening and where you do not need a metal box around you to protect yourself, or a gun, for that matter.

By: Andy Cline

Andy Cline — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 23:20:14 +0000

Alex… I’m good to go in any weather by myself. The issue isn’t me. It’s Emily. I think I risk her desire to cycle long-term if I force the issue when the weather is in the teens or below.

By: Alexander

Alexander — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:37:58 +0000

I see your point.

I personally hate the car. For years I tried to structure where I lived so that I could have the option to walk or ride transit even.

But it’s not even possible. I literally live across the street from the grocery store, but there are no sidewalks and the traffic is very much not into the mind of respecting bicyclists or walkers.

That doesn’t even get into the issue of the heat, I mentioned above.

I guess I wonder and maybe this didn’t come across in the post, if the issue of the cold is compounded by sprawl and distance. Could you have made it even in such whether had it been a shorter distance?

We just have to take on these distances.