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Gasoline prices are sure pushing into new territory lately. Adding pain to the situation is the rapid inflation of food cost. Ouch.
Gas is over $4.05 in Washington, DC this week.
Our family is already making some changes. Of course, I have always been a bicycle commuter, but now, I insist that my teen son bicycle to places with me rather than us taking the car. I tell him that it is HIS world we are saving. My wife absolutely refused to bicycle anywhere for any reason and that won't change. However, I did stop her from driving to the QuickieMart for a cola yesterday.
So, what impact is it having in your neighborhood? Are more people choosing bicycling as a mode of transportation?
It might be a little difficult to know if a rider is transporting or out for leisure, but I think you can tell.
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In Miami, everyone has a car. People will starve their kids and forgo heart medicine rather than not have a car. So I have seen very few bike commuters. Even the bike racks at the commuter rail stations only have two or three bikes parked in front of them.
I started riding to work when gas was 50 cents a litre. Everyone complained when it hit 75, then a buck and this morning it was $1.32. They're still driving in.
Yes. The bike congestion is getting worse and worse.
I am seeing a few more people using bicycles for commuting and utility recently.
Correctly, I should say that I have been seeing more people on bikes lately. I haven't asked any of them their purpose, but I would say that commuting and utility are a safe assumption.
I was speaking with a cyclist friend of mine about this last week, and he has noticed the same.
Gasoline prices are sure pushing into new territory lately. Adding pain to the situation is the rapid inflation of food cost. Ouch.
Gas is over $4.05 in Washington, DC this week.
Our family is already making some changes. Of course, I have always been a bicycle commuter, but now, I insist that my teen son bicycle to places with me rather than us taking the car. I tell him that it is HIS world we are saving.
Remember, Mike, when we were having these discussions back when gas was still less than $2 a gallon? That day is upon us that we all predicted, and those who chose to ignore the obvious are paying for it, and the cost still goes up...
We said things like, "People won't change until gas goes up to $4 gal."
The really ironic thing is that so many of us who have been commuting by bicycle for years weren't motivated by such high prices at the pump. Do prices have to go up to $6 for people to change? $8...?
Oh, I'm not wishing for that. I know the economic impact. Nor do I want everyone to do what I do, which is ride a bike. In fact, I kind of doubt most people will (unless we start talking $8, $10...) But I somehow feel vindicated in the face of those who said to me, "Why do you ride a bike? You're crazy!"
:beer:
BTW, I do think I've seen a few more un-standard utilitarian cyclist types out there, lately. Goodonyer, mates! ;)
Remember, Mike, when we were having these discussions back when gas was still less than $2 a gallon? That day is upon us that we all predicted, and those who chose to ignore the obvious are paying for it, and the cost still goes up...
We said things like, "People won't change until gas goes up to $4 gal."
The really ironic thing is that so many of us who have been commuting by bicycle for years weren't motivated by such high prices at the pump. Do prices have to go up to $6 for people to change? $8...?
Oh, I'm not wishing for that. I know the economic impact. Nor do I want everyone to do what I do, which is ride a bike. In fact, I kind of doubt most people will (unless we start talking $8, $10...) But I somehow feel vindicated in the face of those who said to me, "Why do you ride a bike? You're crazy!"
:beer:
BTW, I do think I've seen a few more un-standard utilitarian cyclist types out there, lately. Goodonyer, mates! ;)
Ha ha! You are right, Pete. I almost forgot about that. Everything in perspecitive 'eh. I seem to remember during the "over $2.00 per gallon" price jump, we temporarily saw more people bicycle commuting. Then, folks get used to the higher gas prices and fall back into the automobile.
I guess that the day that gas prices and the economy gets so demanding that people are forced to bicycle whether they like it or not will be a sad day indeed.
Dang, Mike...I almost can't believe it myself...
$4 a gallon?
:eek:
(If only my car could ride on milk... ;)
...and say, glad to see you putting in your two bucks worth here in A & S, Mike. Nice to hear from an ol' time bike commuter, from the Snowy Midwest, no less! :beer: )
Penticton, BC is a funny town.
It hosts the Canadian Ironman, so from May until the end of summer (race day is August 24th (http://www.ironman.ca/) this year), there are always elite (and wannabe elite) riders 'round town.
But for the most part, the only cyclists I see are pure recreationalists, or those living on the margins.
And if you take the time to strike up a convo, the second group can fill you in on all the alleyways and bent-fence-shortcuts that can getcha crosstown in a hurry.
:D
slight (SLIGHT) increase of bicycle use here. some more pedestrians as well.
i have noticed a simular decrease (reduction) in the volumn of automobile drivers,. at times. there also seems to be an upswing in motorcycle use here, from harly to moped...
changes are happening!
I am seeing a lot more people on bikes lately...and not just the lower-class individual on a Huffy! The price of gas appears to be starting to have an effect on the numbers of "amateur hour" newbie bike commuters (also known as: "peds on bikes")--and even a few who know what they are doing and show it--in the upward direction.
Well, it's not really a fair comparison. Lots of our cyclists hibernate in the winter. This past two weeks they've emerged from their dens.
I've seen a few more people on bikes lately, but I don't think they're doing anything. IOW, I think they're just leisurely riding around.
Well, I just left my Trek dealer and he said they got hit pretty hard over the weekend. I don't know if its just cause its getting warm or the price of gas, but there are a lot of people getting interested in bikes around here lately
Here in the DC area, I've been seeing a steady increase over the past ten years. There has been no sudden spike in cycling, though. Therefore, I think it is being driven by congestion and scarce and expensive parking rather than by gas prices.
Paul
Around here I've been seeing a LOT more commuters. Obviously, this is judging books by covers, but it's a pretty fair guess who is and who isn't commuting. I can think of four or five regular ones whose routes intersect with mine -- and my commute is only a couple of miles. And I see many more when I'm out and about as well. It makes me happy.
Oh hell yeah...even to the point of folks stopping to talk to me about my commuter bike, lights and such.
Still very few cyclists around here. I keep hoping to see an increase, but I'm not holding my breath. Motor traffic seems as high as ever no matter the price of fuel.
I don't think you can always tell if a cyclist is commuting to work or not. I often commute on my fair weather bike with no rack or extra junk on board. Someone could easily think I'm just on a recreational ride. I do have fenders and a rack on my foul weather bike for when I need to carry stuff though.
I can think of four or five regular ones whose routes intersect with mine -- and my commute is only a couple of miles.
In spite of all the motorists clogging the roads, there are often more bike commuters than we might think. We just don't see them because their routes don't always intersect with ours at the same time.
I used to meet a bike commuter who rode from Decatur, Ga., to Fort McPherson. Our routes overlapped, for several miles, but I never saw him unless I was a few minutes early. (Hello, Jose.)
:)
I see a lot more recreational cyclists, but very few new commuters. It's like people are getting bikes and toodling down the towpath as a means of preparing (at least in their own minds) for 5 bucks a gallon.
I've been seeing a lot more, but I think it's just the fair weather commuters. There do seem to be a few more errand runners than I remember seeing before.
Well i saw 3 bicycle commuters on my way to work today. That's up from 0 so what's that in percentage increase? (3-0)/0= ?? hmmm, my calculator would appear to be on the fritz.
In Miami, everyone has a car. People will starve their kids and forgo heart medicine rather than not have a car. So I have seen very few bike commuters. Even the bike racks at the commuter rail stations only have two or three bikes parked in front of them.
The new Bicycling lists Miami as one of the worst cities in the nation for cycling.
On the 12-15 mile haul between Davis and Sacramento, across the Yolo Causeway, I'm noticing a lot more new faces. Also, a lot more non- roadie types. This commute has previously been the domain of road cyclists who want to use their daily commute as training miles.
In spite of all the motorists clogging the roads, there are often more bike commuters than we might think. We just don't see them because their routes don't always intersect with ours at the same time.
I used to meet a bike commuter who rode from Decatur, Ga., to Fort McPherson. Our routes overlapped, for several miles, but I never saw him unless I was a few minutes early. (Hello, Jose.)
:)
Our community is currently building a new bike path that will connect the north and south sections of our city. I have a feeling that I'll be seeing many more commuters now that we have our own route. Just the fact that it's there should encourage more people to leave their car in the driveway.
It will be perfect for me as it covers about 3/4 of my commute!
I know that I've been seeing more and more people bicycling around here, but whether it has more to do with the price of gas or the warmer weather, I'm not sure. On my morning commute this morning, I saw no less than 5 people bicycling, and I know there are several more out there.
Gas and food prices having an effect on the numbers of people getting onto or getting back into bicycling? Most emphatically YES! absolutely more people "utilifying" on bicycles in america.
at the bike shop I work at, people have been coming in more and more with old bikes, looking to add 'baskets, something to go to the store with...' and more and more people are looking to bicycling part time on their commutes. Springtime is the annual upswing in bicycling, but there has been a huge upswing of people looking to "utilify" on bicycles.
It's very heartening to me as a lifelong environmentalist to see america -hesitantingly, angry, petulant about it - looking at automobiles as problematic, a pox on the landscape, not the embodiment of the american spirit anymore.
Gas locally here is near 4 bucks a gallon mid range in the city....
The times they are a changing in america.
Not a whole lot of change around my area...people are *very* attached to their cars here.
It's very heartening to me as a lifelong environmentalist to see america -hesitantingly, angry, petulant about it - looking at automobiles as problematic, a pox on the landscape, not the embodiment of the american spirit anymore.
The times they are a changing in america.
Yes, I am also glad to see the attitudes toward automobility changing in a way that suggests automobiles aren't the only answer to transportation.
Dick Cheney has been touting the automobile as part of "the American standard of living".
I think being American (yes, Canada and Mexico, you can play too) means freedom. Being shackled to the costs and responsibilities of the automobile doesn't feel like freedom to me.
I am seeing many more people in the last five years. The commuting population here has been increasing steadily and rapidly. I would estimate that the numbers are now up in the thousands going into and out of Seattle during the rush. More and more it's difficult to find a place to lock my bike when I go on errands or to the store. The city needs lots more bike parking. What's really striking is that so many people here commute and do errands on their bikes given the almost constant rain.
IIRC, it was Herbert Hoover that said "A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage." Of course, Henry Ford's vision was to make a car that every working person could afford, so America's car culture is pretty deeply rooted. Today, so much is transported cross-country by trucks, contrasted with little over a century ago when most goods were transported by trains to local distribution points. That's also about the time when passenger trains started to die out in favor of cars and planes. Sadly, I think it's going to take more than just $4/gallon gas to get more Americans to consider other transportation options.
I was in MIchigan about five weeks ago. I saw more cyclists then I've ever seen in that supposedly anti cycling state. ? I'd guess, its either the price of gas, but more likely the fact their cars were repossessed.
Since this is coinciding with a weather shift it's hard to say that the slight increase in cyclists is due to gas. I'm voting no, given that the few I've seen are pretty clearly (based on visible equipment, comfort dodging cars) experienced riders.
Sadly, I think it's going to take more than just $4/gallon gas to get more Americans to consider other transportation options.
maybe, the higher costs of food and spiraling costs of living? coupled with growing road congestion... I think 4 dollar gas may very well mark the marking of a 'tipping point' in america. i predict growing numbers of people looking for alternatives to their private automobile use. and just 4 dollar a gallon gas? with the weakening dollar- or even OPECs' shift to the Euro, and I think we'll see 5 dollar gas by Christmas.
with people increasingly unable to afford as much at the walmart because gas costs so much, a wicked spiral appears to be playing out.
this morning in the paper, an AP stringer article featuring a hangdog american looking at the pump...
Warmer weather and $4.10 a gallon gas is making for a considerable upswing in the number of bicyclists in my area. I not able to call myself "Mr. Lonely" now, like I did this last winter.
maybe, the higher costs of food and spiraling costs of living? coupled with growing road congestion... I think 4 dollar gas may very well mark the marking of a 'tipping point' in america. i predict growing numbers of people looking for alternatives to their private automobile use. and just 4 dollar a gallon gas? with the weakening dollar- or even OPECs' shift to the Euro, and I think we'll see 5 dollar gas by Christmas.
with people increasingly unable to afford as much at the walmart because gas costs so much, a wicked spiral appears to be playing out.
this morning in the paper, an AP stringer article featuring a hangdog american looking at the pump...
I think there is a big difference between Americans and people in Europe and Asia in that the American buys gas because he has no choice. Europeans and Asians can take public transport, but some CHOOSE to drive. So when they buy gas, it is like buying ice cream - ya it costs, but what the heck. Most Americans are dependant on their car. For many folks, automobile travel is to Americans like heroin is to the addict; the thrill is gone, they just need the daily fix to keep drudging along. They hope one day there will be relief, but they know in their heart of hearts that they are hooked for good and the price is only going up.
For many folks automobile travel is to Americans is like heroin is to the addict; the thrill is gone, they just need the daily fix to keep drudging along. They hope one day there will be relief, but they know in their heart of hearts that they are hooked for good and the price is only going up.
That's the sad truth of it.
We've suburbed and exurbed ourselves into slavery.
The idea that Americans spend (on average) 18% of their total income just getting from place to place is absolutely ridiculous from a cost/benefit analysis, without even addressing the loss of quality time or environmental and health damages.
Today's Globe and Mail (the national Canadian broadsheet published in Toronto) reported today on how gas prices and the threat a week or two ago of a Toronto transit strike have slammed bike shops:
Cycle mania hits high gear; good luck getting tune-up: Soaring gas prices, bad traffic and the TTC strike are getting a lot of people back on their bikes (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080507.wbikes07/BNStory/National/)
I've just moved here so I can't compare to last year but there sure are a lot of utility and commuting cyclists in my part of town.
Today's Globe and Mail (the national Canadian broadsheet published in Toronto) reported today on how gas prices and the threat a week or two ago of a Toronto transit strike have slammed bike shops:
Cycle mania hits high gear; good luck getting tune-up: Soaring gas prices, bad traffic and the TTC strike are getting a lot of people back on their bikes (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080507.wbikes07/BNStory/National/)
I've just moved here so I can't compare to last year but there sure are a lot of utility and commuting cyclists in my part of town.
I find it interesting that some of the most dedicated bicycle commuters live in northern areas where the weather is punishing much of the year - like Toronto where wlonkly is from.
I think it's that we've been having a nice spring...
Speedo
seeing a few more people, but I'd attribute it to the weather warming up enough to actually enjoy a ride.
The times that I see the people just doesn't coincide with commuting.
Though the other day I rode over to the hardware store and when I came out there were three other bikes parked. In all the years I've been riding bikes to the local Ace I've never seen another one there.
Ken.
So when they buy gas, it is like buying ice cream - ya it costs, but what the heck. Most Americans are dependant on their car. For many folks, automobile travel is to Americans like heroin is to the addict; the thrill is gone, they just need the daily fix to keep drudging along. They hope one day there will be relief, but they know in their heart of hearts that they are hooked for good and the price is only going up.
Some US cities have great public transport, When I lived in SF (moved to michigan early 80's) I could get anywhere in the city in less than twenty minutes, here in GR, for the longest time busses only ran every half hour, and left vast areas uncovered, so in some areas the closest you could come to a destination was 2 miles or more. Some of the lines had the last run at 5pm, and didn't start running till 7am, so commuting couldn't be done if you had to go in by 7 or didn't get out well before 5.
As for the driving 'fix', I'm in construction and often drive a couple hours one way to the job site. In the mornings I have to cruise right along to get there on time, but in the afternoon I always take my time and follow the least travelled roads so I can enjoy the drive and unwind. Used to get ragged on a lot because I wouldn't take riders, but it's because I normally have a couple fishing poles in the truck, and have no problem stopping at some new lake, creek, or river for a couple hours on the way home, and most people are in such a hurry to get home and sit around doing nothing that they can't enjoy a drive. (not to mention most riders feel they have to run off at the mouth all the time....)
Ken.
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