Living Car Free - What is your city doing to promote cycling?

I'm delighted to tell you that the city I've called home for the past twenty years, Seville, Spain, is becoming decidedly "bike friendly".

To start with, the city fathers are building a 77-kilometer network of bike paths connecting all of the city's neighborhoods. These are not just lines painted on the street; they are separated completely by a barrier. The first ones have already been opened, and the rest are supposed to be finished by June. What a pleasure it is to ride without worrying about automobile traffic! I can now cross the city in about half the time it used to take.

Another step they've taken is to place bike racks throughout the city.

The latest decision they've made is to make 1,500 public bicycles available (2,500 by 2008) for rent at very low rates (10 euros a year). You'll be able to grab one of these at the bus or train station, at the entrances to the new subway system they're building, at bus stops, etc., and you'll be able to keep it for up to 24 hours.

I'm really excited about these developments, and I wonder if your towns and cities have taken similar (or different) steps to encourage bicycle usage. I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Ekdog

The San Francisco Bicycle Plan (http://www.sfgov.org/site/bac_index.asp?id=11525) created by the SF Bike Coalition (http://sfbike.org) is an extremely comprehensive plan to create a citywide bicycle network and improve bike safety, awareness and facilities. It's currently being blocked by a lawsuit using an ironic interpretation of the CEQA code, but the goal is to get 10% of all trips in the city on bikes by 2010.

That's interesting, Jeff. I wonder what they mean when they say they want to "provide a comprehensive network of signed and mapped routes for bicyclists and provide improvements that expedite travel and improve safety along these routes". I hope they're not going to just put up a few signs and issue maps instead of building real bike paths.

You're lucky to have a good mass transit system there in S.F. Are bicycles allowed on BART trains? What about on MUNI buses? I'm originally from San Diego, and they have bike racks on the outside of some buses, and bicycles are allowed on the San Diego Trolley, as I recall.

Regards,

Ek

Ekdog, glad to see your city is taking a big step forward for bicycles. The city I live in is not doing anything to promote cycling, even though we have the 2nd highest number of cyclist per capita in Canada. There was a big push a few years back for bike lanes, but they basically just painted some lines on the raod between the right hand drive lane and parking. You basically ride in the "door" zone of parked cars.

My town is not really big enough(>10k) to do too much in terms of bicycle specfics. However they are at least going to do some bike racks and extend the local Rails to Trails into the downtown area as part of the revitalization. I am working on doing a bike map that shows the cycle friendly routes through town. When I get done we may be able to get it printed. In reality there are only 2 roads that I would stay off of, one is the main US highway. It is a very narrow, high traffic count 4 lane with a steep crown, curbs and guttering, posted 35 mph but traffic runs a lot faster on it. Other than that all the roads are pretty decent and have plenty of room to share.

Aaron:)

"There was a big push a few years back for bike lanes, but they basically just painted some lines on the raod between the right hand drive lane and parking. You basically ride in the 'door' zone of parked cars."

Our politicians tried something similar, but the cyclists wouldn't accept it. They just kept demanding real bike paths, and they are finally getting what they wanted.

My town is not really big enough(>10k) to do too much in terms of bicycle specfics. However they are at least going to do some bike racks and extend the local Rails to Trails into the downtown area as part of the revitalization. I am working on doing a bike map that shows the cycle friendly routes through town. When I get done we may be able to get it printed. In reality there are only 2 roads that I would stay off of, one is the main US highway. It is a very narrow, high traffic count 4 lane with a steep crown, curbs and guttering, posted 35 mph but traffic runs a lot faster on it. Other than that all the roads are pretty decent and have plenty of room to share.

Aaron:)
I disagree with your first statement. My son, who is a student landscape architect, worked as an intern on a project for a small town in Iowa last summer. Their goal was to implement some type of "traffic calming" strategies so that the highway running through town wouldn't feature cars zooming through at 65mph. They planted trees on an island in the highway to give the town some presence or "shape" . They planted some flowers and developed a town logo to draw attention to some of the local businesses. I figure this sort of thing would be ideal for cyclists in a small town. Probably yours.

Seattle, where I live, has a comprehensive plan to improve and encourage cycling, which includes mostly a lot more more bike lanes, a few bike paths and more education, the usual stuff. However, if our recent record with mass transit is any indication, these plans will languish in committee for years, run into obscene cost overruns before a single bike rack is constructed, be harshly criticized even by its original supporters, subjected to threats of legal action from many quarters, and eventually abandoned.

Wow, I'm having a hard time trying to decide where to begin with Portland. It's very comprehensive, but I think what really makes it work is that it's not just the city government doing things (http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=34772). We are experiencing a shift in cultural perceptions about bikes and cycling - and that must happen at the individual and private level.

So let's start with individuals. We've got our road cyclists who may or may not be involved with clubs. We've got dedicated mountain bikers. We have other sports cyclists - people who race competitively, and I include cyclocrossers here. Many people from those categories commute by bike or make a living by bike, as in bike messengers. Some of both also work in our local, growing bike industry, either in retail or building/production. Some of both also incorporate bikes into their daily living and recreation choices - and I don't just mean recreational riding. We have a growing "bikey culture" - a subculture with the bicycle as a central feature. This attracts artists and creative types, as well as people who just want to have fun (http://www.shift2bikes.org/whoWeAre.php) and want their bikes to be an important part of that. Because of artists, musicians, and other creative people, our bike culture remains a living, ever changing thing. You may never be involved in such alternative "scenes", but it affects all bicycling folk for the better, IMO.

How does this tie into government planning? Well, there are government-employed planners who are a part of the bike-oriented culture. They ride every day, they may or may not be involved in sporting activities involved with bikes. They're teaching their children to include bikes in their everyday lives. These are the people who plan our facilities. Our city is now in the process of revising our current bike master plan that will carry us into the next 20 years. How are they getting ideas about what needs to happen and what to try? They're asking people who ride, naturally. There are monthly rides planned for the next year and a half, bimonthly in good weather. I've been on 2 so far. On these rides I have met an incredible range of people: moms (even a pregnant one!) and dads with their children in tow (or not), "professional types" who commute by bike, off-duty law enforcement, newspaper reporters, "government movers and shakers", doctors, lawyers, artists, food service workers, office workers, bike advocacy organization staff, bike messengers, club cyclists, mountain bikers, nonathletes, transportational/utilitarian cyclists, helmet wearers, helmet rejecters, owners of fancy bikes, owners of "department store bikes", "retro grouches", riders with 30+ years experience on the roads, riders who just started riding their bikes because it seemed the thing to do in Portland - you name it, they were represented. We all ride in the city and they want to know what we think about how things are now and how we believe things should be changed (if changes should occur at all). We ride around and meet afterwards to talk about the things we saw. There are big pieces of paper that are scribbled all over, maps, handouts about "bikeway tools", and people who aren't afraid to speak their mind. (It helps when we meet someplace that serves beer. :D )

Why am I confident in this process? Because I ride the results of the last master plan every day. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good, especially for North America. Other people seem to think so, too, as it's clear that our numbers are increasing. My mom just left after a week's visit here. She couldn't believe the number of bikes out there, even in the rain. As someone who has never left North America, she had never seen anything like it. Our city is doing more than planning facilities - it's also trying to attract more bike-related businesses to locate here. They tend to employ people who incorporate bicycles into their everyday lives. It spreads, too. Businesses who don't have a single cycling employee are learning really fast that they get more customers if they put in parking for us or are laid back about having a bike inside their store for a short period of time. I'm even seeing a few individual home owners start to put in staple or small ribbon racks in their front yards. There aren't too many, but it's growing.

Finally, there is one local advocate who has done so much to pull the entire community together. His website (http://bikeportland.org/index.php) is part newspaper, part opinion blog, and he carefully lists just about every cycling resource that exists in the area. His site is my browser's default home page. :) He has the ear and trust of a wide range of bike culture members, local government, law enforcement - no one person here could have done what he has. He just won our local bicycle advocacy group's (http://www.bta4bikes.org/) annual award, and I couldn't have thought of a better choice.

So, I know this is extremely long and rambling, and I barely scratched the surface of what is going on here, but I guess that's the point. There is no one magic bullet area to focus on to promote cycling. Perhaps in 2008 when Portland hosts the Towards Carfree Cities conference, more observant and articulate people than I will visit here, be able to see what's happening, and communicate it widely. :) I hope I will be able to meet some of you at that time.

Portland is teh rocks.

Wow, I'm having a hard time trying to decide where to begin with Portland. It's very comprehensive,...

i read your post completely, and wish my town was 10% of yours! not only more than one cycling club, but a PEDESTRIAN CLUB? git outta dodge! we don't have enough pedestrians on the pavement at any one time for them to each wear a letter in the title of your ped club!

Port was on a very short list my sister & i had for places to relocate to, but there are a couple things we noticed in our research that we just can't get past. i'd still put Port on the 'visit' list, though -- behind the Maah Daah Hey & before Moab!

rock on, 2-wheelers!

i read your post completely, and wish my town was 10% of yours! not only more than one cycling club, but a PEDESTRIAN CLUB? git outta dodge! we don't have enough pedestrians on the pavement at any one time for them to each wear a letter in the title of your ped club!
Yeah, Portland rules for bicycles. They like to rub it in. ;) I live on the wrong side of the Columbia river, but I do find the opportunity to ride down there as often as possible! I start feeling cynical if I don't get my Portland cycling fix after a while. Like yesterday, I knew spring was here when I saw three other cyclists on my 20 mile ride in Vancouver. <--- You see, cynical!
Portland does have a great thing going. I remember driving around Portland a few years back; going from downtown to the Stumptown on Division and 45th was way out of the way! But now it's just a little detour on the bike, and I don't even give it a second thought. Riding a bike in Portland is so much easier and fun that it's hard to believe people drive cars there.

Wow, I'm having a hard time trying to decide where to begin with Portland.
.

Wow is right. I'm sure Portland will serve as a model for other North American cities in the very near future.

My city makes some effort. There's a bike to work week and they keep trails up pretty reasonably. I think they would do a lot more if more people actually biked for transportation.

http://www.bikeiowa.com/asp/bike/

On the other hand, maybe I should try to promote that week at work. I think there are a few who would like to try it.

Wow is right. I'm sure Portland will serve as a model for other North American cities in the very near future.

I hope you're right. It sounds like Portland's definitely moving in the right direction. From what I've been reading, Portland isn't the only bike-friendly community in Oregon. I came across this site (http://bicyclefriendlycommunity.org/AllBicycleFriendlyCommunities.htm), which gives a gold medal to Portland and Corvalis, a silver to Eugene, and a bronze to Ashland, Beaverton and Bend.

Davis, California, is the only town that was awarded a platinum.

And - Vancouver, WA recently got a bronze (yes, KnhoJ!). Ekdog, Vancouver, WA is just across the river from Portland, and really is part of our greater metropolitian area, as is Beaverton. I think Oregon as a state is pretty darn progressive when it comes to promoting bicycle transportation. Every single Oregon member of the House and Senate belongs to their respective Bicycle Caucus, as does the House Rep. for Vancouver, WA. :)

Ekdog, if you look at US cities, you will notice that many of the ones that have won awards for being progressive in this area are "college towns". Corvallis, Eugene, Ashland, and Davis, CA are all smaller cities with a university located in them. Portland does have some colleges and universities, but they are not the "dominant feature" of our economy. This is also true for Beaverton, Bend and Vancouver, WA. I would never dismiss the great work college/university towns have done to promote bicycle transportation, but I do believe it is really amazing and exciting when a larger city or metro area does a lot to promote bicycling and begins to see a significant increase in the number of trips made by bicycle.

Yeah, Portland rules for bicycles. They like to rub it in. ;) I live on the wrong side of the Columbia river, but I do find the opportunity to ride down there as often as possible! I start feeling cynical if I don't get my Portland cycling fix after a while. Like yesterday, I knew spring was here when I saw three other cyclists on my 20 mile ride in Vancouver. <--- You see, cynical!
Portland does have a great thing going. I remember driving around Portland a few years back; going from downtown to the Stumptown on Division and 45th was way out of the way! But now it's just a little detour on the bike, and I don't even give it a second thought. Riding a bike in Portland is so much easier and fun that it's hard to believe people drive cars there.
You know, you do have a tireless advocate in Todd Boulanger. He's fantastic and has taken Vancouver quite far in a very short period of time. :)

You know, you do have a tireless advocate in Todd Boulanger. He's fantastic and has taken Vancouver quite far in a very short period of time. :)
Absolutely, I'll second that! I think we Vancouverites ought to feel a little smug in having Todd doing his bikey deeds on our side of the border. :D
Things are definitely improving over here, but it's not even funny how much greener the grass is on the other side. It's like we're sitting next to Einstein's kid in math class. Well, maybe not that bad... Downtown Vancouver's a lot of fun to ride through, and there are some good routes here and there. But we do have some patches of Clark County still stuck in the automotive dark ages, like where I'm at, that encourage a little cynicism. It's definitely improving, though: Riding to work in Salmon Creek several years ago was a real adventure before Hazel Dell Avenue received some major improvements. Now the hills are the worst part of the ride!

I am not sure but the results are clear Scottsdale, Tempe, Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler (east valley) all won BF community awards. The same cities all fall under 50 from the top 100 walkable communities.

Tempe is rather active from a government level.
I think there is idividual effort as in cycling (although I don't see many get off the sidewalk) rather than having groups that I know of. Of course we have weekend groups rides. However not many daily riders.
We try critical mass in Phoenix and recivied maybe 5 people. In tempe is was more like a dozen if that.

Not all is bright here. We're having trouble with a bar owner who insists upon setting up his sidewalk café on the new bike path. :mad:


http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/9299/dscf1957ut2.jpg

West Michigan is still hostile as ever there are bike racks on the GR and Holland buses at least that is one thing that many people dont have

Not all is bright here. Were having trouble with a bar owner who insists upon setting up his sidewalk café on the new bike path. :mad:


http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/9299/dscf1957ut2.jpg

Looks like a good place for a CM ride:D

Aaron:)

That bar owner will be reported to the proper authorities, although images like this one have people wondering if it will do any good:

http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/9615/dscf2005nf0.jpg

That's interesting, Jeff. I wonder what they mean when they say they want to "provide a comprehensive network of signed and mapped routes for bicyclists and provide improvements that expedite travel and improve safety along these routes". I hope they're not going to just put up a few signs and issue maps instead of building real bike paths.

You're lucky to have a good mass transit system there in S.F. Are bicycles allowed on BART trains? What about on MUNI buses? I'm originally from San Diego, and they have bike racks on the outside of some buses, and bicycles are allowed on the San Diego Trolley, as I recall.

From my understanding, the SF Bike Plan aims to connect every neighborhood with striped bike lanes on good quality pavement. This would have a two-fold improvement since streets with bike lanes get priority in repaving and more streets would get striped. I think the issue with bike paths is a whole other animal - it opens a can of issues having to do with vehicular cycling and whether or not bikes should be on the streets along with cars or not. I don't want to get too far into that other than to say, while I'd like to see more bike paths, it's not realistic because of how dense San Francisco already is and because of the perceptions and confusion it would create/further about where bikes belong.

The Bike Plan also makes it mandatory for all parking structures to include bike parking, improve bicycle access on bridges, ensure bicycle access to rail and transit systems, and increase funding towards bicycle related projects and facilities.

MUNI is kind of a hot topic these days, yes it's pretty good compared to other transit systems, but it also faces a major deficit and fare collection problem. Almost all busses have racks up front. Bikes are allowed on BART (except on rush hour trains and front cars). Public transit is sort of a non-issue for me personally though (right now) because I ride everywhere (one for fun, two for exercise, three to avoid public transit).

That's interesting, Jeff. I wonder what they mean when they say they want to "provide a comprehensive network of signed and mapped routes for bicyclists and provide improvements that expedite travel and improve safety along these routes". I hope they're not going to just put up a few signs and issue maps instead of building real bike paths.
I'm wondering if they're going to go for something like this (http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=36320). BTW, they are up now (signs are green and not blue), and I will say they are much more helpful that a poorly designed bike path or bike lane. The little circles on the streets have gotten me home many a rainy night from an unfamiliar part of town. :) There are all kinds of facilities, and I think the best system is when type of facility complement other types. I think a network of signage and markings are especially good in a dense, urban environment.

I'm wondering if they're going to go for something like this (http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=36320). BTW, they are up now (signs are green and not blue), and I will say they are much more helpful that a poorly designed bike path or bike lane. The little circles on the streets have gotten me home many a rainy night from an unfamiliar part of town. :) There are all kinds of facilities, and I think the best system is when type of facility complement other types. I think a network of signage and markings are especially good in a dense, urban environment.

Wow, those signs are pretty cool, even if the times don't mean much, the distances are good. For San Francsico some kind of grade indicator would be good, maybe a miniature elevation profile. San Francisco's signs are pretty decent, but unless you have the map at hand (which is annoying to stop and pull out), or have the numbering system memorized, they don't have much use except to get you going in a general direction. They are however consistent with the signage to the north in Marin and south of San Francisco which helps you keep on your route when you are going a longer distance.

Not all is bright here. Were having trouble with a bar owner who insists upon setting up his sidewalk café on the new bike path. :mad:
Not ever having visited Seville, or seen pics of the area surrounding this bar, it seems to me (based on your photo) that your city has put business owners and pedestrians in direct conflict with cyclists by placing this path where they have. That just seems really unfair to me. It's like your city carved out this wonderful little sliver of car-free space and then expects all the other non-car users not to want to use it? I know there's politics involved and unllikely to happen anytime soon, but I see that line of automobile parking next to your bike lane and think there ought to be room for bikes, pedestrians, and outside seating for the bar.

Ah well, where did I put that magic wand... :rolleyes:

DC gets better for cycling every year. When I moved into town in 2000 I think the city had one marked lane. The National Park service has many bike trails. The city keeps adding bike lanes and Bike+Bus lanes and pedestrian signs. One odd thing is that they are beggining to put bike lanes as the outside lane in the traffic circles. It is easier to just mix it up with the cars or act like a car when you negotiate a traffic circle- in my opinion. It makes it seem that the new bike lanes are being put in by people who don't bike. At many intersections bikers have more options than the bike lanes display so a novice who stays in the bike lane would never learn the quick way to travel. Many of the bike lanes in DC seem to indicate the dangerous door zone rather than a safe place to ride.

Many of the bike lanes in DC seem to indicate the dangerous door zone rather than a safe place to ride.
I think a lot of bike lanes in the U.S. are like that. That's why Vehicular Cycling advocates hate bike lanes. That's why I hate some bike lanes (the ones that don't allow parked cars are awesome, though, especially when they're placed where they're needed, like on 45 MPH roads).

Absolutely, I'll second that! I think we Vancouverites ought to feel a little smug in having Todd doing his bikey deeds on our side of the border. :D
Things are definitely improving over here, but it's not even funny how much greener the grass is on the other side. It's like we're sitting next to Einstein's kid in math class. Well, maybe not that bad... Downtown Vancouver's a lot of fun to ride through, and there are some good routes here and there. But we do have some patches of Clark County still stuck in the automotive dark ages, like where I'm at, that encourage a little cynicism. It's definitely improving, though: Riding to work in Salmon Creek several years ago was a real adventure before Hazel Dell Avenue received some major improvements. Now the hills are the worst part of the ride!
But think about it this way: Portland has been at this for quite a long time, now. I think Vancouver has done more in a shorter period of time, and with a less receptive majority of the population. You have a lot to be proud of, and so long as the momentum isn't lost, you're well on your way to even greater things. :)

My city (the metro Detroit area) has not passed any laws banning anything other than American made automobils from the streets, yet. And with the way politics around here are when it comes to american autos, I consider that a big step in promoting cycling. ;)

The city I live in St. Catharines, ONT, isn't doing that much to promote cycling. However, each summer since 2001/2002 I see very large increases of new cyclists, and during the winter months I'm starting to see more people riding as well.
The city is starting to add more bike lanes when they re-do roads but still not enough, however people are just starting to hop on their bikes themselves with no "incentive" from the city. And I do give a big thumbs up to car drivers here, as they are extremely aware of cyclists and give us the proper space and courtesy.
I guess I should also add, we did have an election late last year, and this guy does seem more "environmentally friendly", so in the coming years we should see more promoting of bikes.

I've attached a picture of one of the nicest things DC has done for cyclists, I love these full width lanes. If only they'd ticket the car drivers who use them. I took this photo when a car got behind me in the bike lane and began honking. I stopped and turned to pull out my camera to photgraph the driver as she cursed me. When she saw the camera she cut into the car lane. When the cars behind her saw her back down they also cleared the bike lane. In the event the photo ahead shows the lane markings more clearly and a bus using the lane. I like riding in my own space with enough room to clear the opening doors.

Not ever having visited Seville, or seen pics of the area surrounding this bar, it seems to me (based on your photo) that your city has put business owners and pedestrians in direct conflict with cyclists by placing this path where they have. That just seems really unfair to me. It's like your city carved out this wonderful little sliver of car-free space and then expects all the other non-car users not to want to use it? I know there's politics involved and unllikely to happen anytime soon, but I see that line of automobile parking next to your bike lane and think there ought to be room for bikes, pedestrians, and outside seating for the bar.

Ah well, where did I put that magic wand... :rolleyes:

It's not apparent by looking at the picture, but there is room for bikes, pedestrians and the outdoor seating.

It's not apparent by looking at the picture, but there is room for bikes, pedestrians and the outdoor seating.
Good to know. It does seem too narrow from the picture.

Im just amazed they could do it so fast. In the United States any such deed would take at least 6 years. Especially if the path was more than 3 miles long.

Not all is bright here. We're having trouble with a bar owner who insists upon setting up his sidewalk café on the new bike path. :mad:


http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/9299/dscf1957ut2.jpg

Ekdog! Look at the bright side of things..it makes it much more comfortable and efficient for moroccan purse snatchers!!! :D

What has my city done for cycling? Nothing! And now that the car factories are dying. . . they are not doing anything for the auto workers.

Gas, the price of a can of beans

What has my city done for cycling? Nothing! And now that the car factories are dying. . . they are not doing anything for the auto workers.

Gas, the price of a can of beans
Sounds like my city! Do you live in Lansing?

Little Rock is making some beginnings.

In this past year, we got the Big Dam Bridge, a bicycle bridge across the Arkansas River, and bike racks on the buses comes later this month. Both Little Rock and North Little Rock are going for bicycle friendly certification.

http://www.pointhappy.com/gcf/bicycle/BDBDSCF0068b.jpg

Wow, I'm having a hard time trying to decide where to begin with Portland. It's very comprehensive, but I think what really makes it work is that it's not just the city government doing things (http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=34772). We are experiencing a shift in cultural perceptions about bikes and cycling - and that must happen at the individual and private level.

So let's start with individuals. We've got our road cyclists who may or may not be involved with clubs. We've got dedicated mountain bikers. We have other sports cyclists - people who race competitively, and I include cyclocrossers here. Many people from those categories commute by bike or make a living by bike, as in bike messengers. Some of both also work in our local, growing bike industry, either in retail or building/production. Some of both also incorporate bikes into their daily living and recreation choices - and I don't just mean recreational riding. We have a growing "bikey culture" - a subculture with the bicycle as a central feature. This attracts artists and creative types, as well as people who just want to have fun (http://www.shift2bikes.org/whoWeAre.php) and want their bikes to be an important part of that. Because of artists, musicians, and other creative people, our bike culture remains a living, ever changing thing. You may never be involved in such alternative "scenes", but it affects all bicycling folk for the better, IMO.

How does this tie into government planning? Well, there are government-employed planners who are a part of the bike-oriented culture. They ride every day, they may or may not be involved in sporting activities involved with bikes. They're teaching their children to include bikes in their everyday lives. These are the people who plan our facilities. Our city is now in the process of revising our current bike master plan that will carry us into the next 20 years. How are they getting ideas about what needs to happen and what to try? They're asking people who ride, naturally. There are monthly rides planned for the next year and a half, bimonthly in good weather. I've been on 2 so far. On these rides I have met an incredible range of people: moms (even a pregnant one!) and dads with their children in tow (or not), "professional types" who commute by bike, off-duty law enforcement, newspaper reporters, "government movers and shakers", doctors, lawyers, artists, food service workers, office workers, bike advocacy organization staff, bike messengers, club cyclists, mountain bikers, nonathletes, transportational/utilitarian cyclists, helmet wearers, helmet rejecters, owners of fancy bikes, owners of "department store bikes", "retro grouches", riders with 30+ years experience on the roads, riders who just started riding their bikes because it seemed the thing to do in Portland - you name it, they were represented. We all ride in the city and they want to know what we think about how things are now and how we believe things should be changed (if changes should occur at all). We ride around and meet afterwards to talk about the things we saw. There are big pieces of paper that are scribbled all over, maps, handouts about "bikeway tools", and people who aren't afraid to speak their mind. (It helps when we meet someplace that serves beer. :D )

Why am I confident in this process? Because I ride the results of the last master plan every day. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good, especially for North America. Other people seem to think so, too, as it's clear that our numbers are increasing. My mom just left after a week's visit here. She couldn't believe the number of bikes out there, even in the rain. As someone who has never left North America, she had never seen anything like it. Our city is doing more than planning facilities - it's also trying to attract more bike-related businesses to locate here. They tend to employ people who incorporate bicycles into their everyday lives. It spreads, too. Businesses who don't have a single cycling employee are learning really fast that they get more customers if they put in parking for us or are laid back about having a bike inside their store for a short period of time. I'm even seeing a few individual home owners start to put in staple or small ribbon racks in their front yards. There aren't too many, but it's growing.

Finally, there is one local advocate who has done so much to pull the entire community together. His website (http://bikeportland.org/index.php) is part newspaper, part opinion blog, and he carefully lists just about every cycling resource that exists in the area. His site is my browser's default home page. :) He has the ear and trust of a wide range of bike culture members, local government, law enforcement - no one person here could have done what he has. He just won our local bicycle advocacy group's (http://www.bta4bikes.org/) annual award, and I couldn't have thought of a better choice.

So, I know this is extremely long and rambling, and I barely scratched the surface of what is going on here, but I guess that's the point. There is no one magic bullet area to focus on to promote cycling. Perhaps in 2008 when Portland hosts the Towards Carfree Cities conference, more observant and articulate people than I will visit here, be able to see what's happening, and communicate it widely. :) I hope I will be able to meet some of you at that time.
Great post. Maybe some of North America's city councillours and mayors could come to a city like Portland for a convention or something like that, showcase the city? I mean, that wouldn't be too far out in left field I don't think...getting them to actually implement similar policies, on the other hand...;)

Great post. Maybe some of North America's city councillours and mayors could come to a city like Portland for a convention or something like that, showcase the city? I mean, that wouldn't be too far out in left field I don't think...getting them to actually implement similar policies, on the other hand...;)
Or perhaps you guys need to visit Portland during the Towards Carfree Cities conference and bring back ideas to build and nurture a carfree/bicycling culture. Without the culture, cities can put all the infrastructure they want in, and it will amount to nothing.

Hey, no one mentioned Chicago yet....I'm shocked!

We have a major bicycle plan, second generation because most of the first one was accomplished, (http://www.bike2015plan.org/) and a major advocacy organization, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (http://www.biketraffic.org/ ), both of which are actively supproted by Da Mayor. We have an official bike to work week with free breakfast downtown and an active Critical Mass organization with large weekly rides.

We have a state of the art bicycle commuter facility downtown in Millenium park, with lockers, clean showers, bike repair, bike rental and secure bike parking. We have tons of bike racks, bike lanes on the streets, along the lakefront and the river, and on old railroad beds, wider streets marked on pavement as bicycle ways (but not an exlusive lane per se), bike routes, buses all have racks, bikes are allowed on trains in non-rushhour, and new parking ramps must provide bicycle parking, etc.

Da Mayor rides a bike and closes down all of lake shore drive for a few hours during Memorial Day weekend every year for cyclists to ride it sans automobiles (aka "Bike the Drive")....entry fees collected go to the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation to provide them with a major source of funding and automatically include membership to build their database. Last year, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, in cooperation with the city and local bike shops provided 25% off coupons to anyone who wanted them for purchase of a new helmet and/or a new more secure u-lock.

We have multiple organizations which teach bicycle mechanics and riding skills to at risk youth and provide them with bicycles they couldn't otherwise afford, but only after they fix them up themselves. Working Bikes Coop (www.workingbikes.org (http://www.workingbikes.org)) even ships fixed up donated bicycles to poor countries around the world, making Chicago a bicycle transportation advocacy exporter.

Ok, so our weather is not great in the winter, but you still see lots of dedicated cycling commuters year round. Our city government may be corrupt...but at least our mayor is a tree hugging cyclist who hasn't been convicted of anything yet. Oh, and we don't have any hills except for express way overpasses.

Happy cycling to all!

Our city government may be corrupt...but at least our mayor is a tree hugging cyclist who hasn't been convicted of anything yet.
Hey, to me it's perfectly acceptable to utilize a strong-man/political machine mayoral system to get what you want if that's what you have. Perhaps there need to be a campaign to get more strong-arm mayors to fall in love with bikes and cycling? :D

Dang, Artkansas-- great picture, but it takes forever to download, even with super-fast broadband. Any chance you could use thumbnails in the future? :)

Or perhaps you guys need to visit Portland during the Towards Carfree Cities conference and bring back ideas to build and nurture a carfree/bicycling culture. Without the culture, cities can put all the infrastructure they want in, and it will amount to nothing.
When is this? if you have any links or info lemme know:)

When is this? if you have any links or info lemme know:)

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=272567

My college had a BikeFest today. It was pretty rad, and it was encouraging that plenty of non-cyclists were there getting involved. Good fun.

Denver? Draw your own conclusions:

http://denvergov.org/Default.aspx?alias=denvergov.org/Bicycle_Program
http://www.bikedenver.org/

Or have them drawn for you! : )

http://www.rockyhillside.net/Blogs/index.php/2007/02/19/does_denver_have_a_bike_planner

I live in San Jose, California, and physically it is just about ideal for year-round cycling. The terrain is very flat, with few natural obstacles like hills and rivers. And the climate is is not too hot in the summer, not too cold in the winter, and relatively little rain, which is concentrated in a few winter storms. However, San Jose doesn't have anything close to the level of cycling found in our chilly, hilly neighbor 50 miles to the north, San Francisco.

San Jose has a relatively compact downtown, but most of the city is low-density suburban-style development. There is a pretty good network of bike lanes thoughout the city, and some nice but under-utilized multi-use paths along the creeks that run through the city. San Jose and the rest of Silicon Valley has a nice network of "expressways", which are relatively high speed arterials, typically with wide shoulders, and few intersections. Bicycles are allowed on all the expressways, and for confident cyclists, these are often the fastest available routes. There are a few prominent gaps in bike lane network, particularly in downtown, where high speeds, one way streets, and onstreet parking can make cycling a little unpleasant. The freeway system is a source of some very serious obstacles in San Jose. Bicycle accessible freeway crossings are few and far between, and often require weaving with high-speed traffic entering and leaving the freeway.

All of the public transit providers serving the city allow bicycles on board. All of the buses have external racks with a two bike capacity, and two more bikes are permitted inside with the outside racks are full. The commuter train between San Jose and San Francisco allows bikes on board, but this option is so popular, that sometimes the capacity is exceeded and cyclists must be turned away.

In the highest density areas in and around downtown, there is adequate bike parking. The city regularly solicits grants for additional bike parking and gathers recommendations from interested citizens locations to install the racks. Outside of the densest areas, where stripmalls and large parking lots dominate, secure bike parking is harder to come by. I'll often see delapidated wheel-bender racks that are completely ignored by cyclists, who lock their bikes to nearby handrails or signposts instead.

The city seems to do a pretty good job of adjusting the buried sensors at traffic signals to detect bicycles. However, as a general rule, they don't paint any markings over them on streets that aren't designated bike facilities. On streets that have been repaved, it can be very challenging indeed to figure out the correct placement of one's bike to trigger the traffic signal.

We have a pretty good local bicycle advocacy group called the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition that covers San Jose and most of the surrounding communities. SVBC has been a key player in achieving many of the bicycle accomodations I have outlined above.

Given the almost ideal conditions for year-round cycling, and pretty good support for cycling from the city, you might think that the roads would be filled with bicyclists. Perhaps it is just because I keep the hours of a software engineer rather than a normal person, but I really don't see that many cyclists on streets in San Jose. I probably see fewer than 10 other cyclists on my normal 5 mile commute through downtown to work.

I think San Jose is at least somewhat interested in promoting cycling and improving conditions for cyclists. We currently have a bronze rating as an LAB Bicycle Friendly Community. Hopefully someday we can be silver or gold!