Old 07-01-08, 10:38 PM
  #23  
derath
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Originally Posted by Bekologist
how do other countries make it safe for children to bicycle to school? How does the american 'safe routes to school' work to facilitate kids bicycling?

I have long been a supporter of consideration of the less fit and the less abled when designing public space, genec. Also greater consideration for children as bicyclists and all ages of pedestrians.
I think it comes down to more than just the proper facilities. My thoughts when this comes up is the standard bike lane. Take a normal downtown busy road. Stripe a lane and suddenly it is safe for a child to ride? I think not.

However, I biked/walked to school most of my life. And I had no accommodations. In fact the community I grew up in didnt even have sidewalks. But it was a walkable community with the elementary and high schools within it's limits. So every street was a 25mph or less neighborhood road. The other BIG key IMO is that I had little choice. We had no bus service (as we lived too close to the schools to warrant it). As a result there were hundreds of kids walking or biking to school each day. Safety in numbers works.

Sadly today when I am there, I see far fewer kids walking, but there is a HUGE line of Cars dropping off the kids.




Originally Posted by Bekologist
sorry derath, i take issue with the comment you made

My only problem is that they (bike lanes) don't negate the need to learn how to ride in traffic.
right, they don't and why is that a problem???
It is only a "problem" on this board, in that many people here hold up both sides of the argument as the end all be all. The hard core infrastructure folks hold it up as the solution. And as soon as someone cites "cyclist education" they must be anti infrastructure.

This however seems to be only an anomoly here, not out in the real world.

If you hold to the belief that infrastructure as well as education are key, then we have more common ground than you realize. (well throw in driver education as well).


-D
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