In general, more drastic measures that clearly "make it harder" to drive a car remain something of a pipe dream in American cities. Even NYC has seen congestion pricing plans shot down, and they may be the least car-dependent large city in the country. People who propose such ideas are often seen as "crazy bike people." Eventually, we may get to the point where policy can actively discourage cycling, but I think the best way to start is probably just by encouraging cycling as an alternative. Once cycling is more acceptable, policymakers may have a bit more freedom to shape transportation choices.
Three things strike me as good ways to approach this without seeming like a "crazy bike person:"
1. Emphasize practical benefits, like money savings to the government over encouraging additional car use or public transit-- a bike lane is cheaper than a bus system, and also cheaper than adding complete car lanes. Reduced car traffic is also a big one-- remember that cars actually benefit if enough people ride regularly, since congestion is reduced.
2. Make it about not just bikes, but livable streets in general. Talk about pedestrian infrastructure like sidewalks (and how bike lanes keep cyclists from terrorizing pedestrians on the sidewalk), and also about methods like traffic calming, which reduces crashes and noise as well as making cyclists safer.
3. Remind people that this is the stage where a growing city can really become a pioneer in a new approach to American urban life; a young portland.
Last edited by alpacalypse; 11-22-08 at 05:57 PM.