On Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at 3:18:52 PM UTC-7, Tim McNamara wrote:
On Tue, 20 Mar 2018 13:49:25 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/...-friendly-town

I thought this was particularly sensible: "I've spent enough time in
Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Malmo to realize that the world's truly
great bicycle friendly places had lots of bicyclists before they had
lots of infrastructure. Change the culture. Create cyclists... more
than you can possibly imagine. If you do, then the built environment
will naturally follow."

I'm not saying it's easy. It's just more sensible than spending a
fortune hoping to build an Amsterdam.

The "if you build it, they will pedal" approach that many people are
rightly suspicious of. That infrastructure draws existing cyclists, but
does it add to them? I'm sure someone has some stats on that. I am
doubtful but I could be wrong.

For the last 30 years, I've been cycling to the same building and riding the same bank of elevators every morning. No, this is not a suicide note -- just background on the reoccurring conversation I have with would-be cyclists. Once or twice a week, someone asks me how far I ride or makes some comment on the fact that I rode in the rain, snow, wind (whatever -- most comments came when I was riding in an ortho-boot after my ski fractures), and then I get the excuse. "I would ride except that [it is too far, there are too many hills, the weather sucks, it is "dangerous" or "other"].

Yesterday, I was standing in the elevator, dripping wet from the rain, and I got the usual question about how far I ride, and then this early middle-aged, somewhat overweight woman tells me she lives seven miles away but that there are two big hills, and she's not good with hills. Hills are a serious impediment for people who live west of the West Hills.

Anyway, no infrastructure is going to get a lot more people on bikes unless it is flat, placed near town or some work destination, the weather is generally O.K. and that it is not "dangerous." Dangerous can be other bicycles according to one fit woman I know. She's afraid of other bicyclists in the crowded facilities. https://bikeportland.org/2011/06/22/...r-photos-55300 BTW, the "other" category is simply never-will-ride people making excuses like busy schedules and general impossibility. Those folks will never ride.

Just removing danger -- like building a separated facility -- will bring out some additional riders, but if it is not flat or close-in, it will probably just collect those people who are already riding and are willing to make a real effort. A hilly bike path will attract the young but somewhat timid and the spin-class heros who have big engines but don't know how to handle themselves on the roads. It's not going to get granny on her bike -- at least not on a regular basis.

-- Jay Beattie.