Ok, you win. Evidence not needed or requested. Makes me feel better about the things I simply don't believe.

I followed your link. It was based on mailed/online surveys conducted for a sporting goods trade association. I studied statistics for three years on a graduate level and I believe this survey is not worth the paper it's written on. I am not aware of any reliable surveys that represent numbers of cyclists, let alone demographic subgroups.

No problem. You win.

So it's been hinted here that some of her arguments are maybe a little "lightweight"... but I've got to say her 4th chapter "Superhighway to health" presents a great way to sell bicycle infrastructure.

Basically, if you look at the roughly $1 million a mile cost of separated bike lanes, you might consider them an excessive frill that most countries can't really afford.

But, says Blue, if you look at the costs from a wider viewpoint, a couple of facts make them seem a great deal.
1. Any infrastructure that supports active transportation provides enormous cost savings in the health sector.
2. Bicycle infrastructure reduces wear and tear on streets. Basically, if you are riding a bicycle instead of driving a car... you aren't out compacting the roadbed with your 2-ton car.

I know these arguments have been expressed before (here even...) but a nice summary nonetheless.

It's important to remember math. The interstate highway system, indeed virtually all of our car-centered infrastructure would never have been built, and would not still be here, were it not for a huge amount of public spending. I'm not a big fan of Elly Blue's book (her moral superiority is very Portlandia, and the writing is poor), but she makes a very good point that all transportation infrastructure is subsidized by taxpayers, and car infrastructure especially so. The national investment she calls for for bicycle infrastructure is far less than what the Big Dig in Boston cost, and the potential benefits are greater.

Good point. It doesn't make much sense to compare a fully funded system (highways) with systems that get only leftover crumbs of funding (bikes and public transit). Bikes and all public transit together cost less than ten percent of total transportation dollars. More than 90 percent goes to highways.

I think I remember reading that pedestrian and cycling gets a full %1...

That depends on your location. I think federal contributions are about 1%, but don't quote me. Even advocates usually only ask for 5%, as in most Complete Street regulations. I said "less than 10%" so I wouldn't be accused of exaggerating for effect.

Let's see, in the UK they require a television license (per set it appears), not a far stretch so see it extended to things like bicycles...

Aaron :)

Has anyone read this book on a Kindle? I bought it and the formatting is so bad that it's nearly illegible. Instead of the dark black letters you get on other ebooks, these are a light grey that makes reading a real pain. I've complained to Amazon and Ms Blue.