Originally Posted by
Bekologist
would you guys mind throwing something relevant to increasing ridership in american cities into your rants?
totally ignoring the scourge of the global warming debate, lets talk american bicycling ridership and how to go about building cities that naturally encourage double digit ridership.
seems a low goal to start, some exemplar cities in Europe approach or exceed 40 percent ridershare.
Consider the elderly and their needs for personal mobility in our 21st century autonomous culture. Conscript people in ailing health and fixed incomes to depend on an automobile for everyday needs? There are obvious and compelling pathways to improved social health, elderly independence, and mobility by encouraging bicycling in communities.
Well some of them HAVE been mentioned in this forum and in others similar to it, Bek.
(1) Better 'parking' and secure places for bicycles at work;
(2) Shower/gym facilities at work for cyclists to clean up and change when they arrive.
(3) Simply convincing folks that bicycles or walking are fine for short trips, which is an inordinate amount of car use.
(4) cash rebates to folks who bike and/or walk, if it can be demonstrated that such use reduces costs to municipalities. (might be hard to demonstrate, though).
I think alot of 'non-cycling' is just inertia. It becomes self fulfilling because as fewer people walk, the sidewalks are poorly maintained and not even included in new developments. Similarly, as fewer people bike, fewer people (motorists) realize the unique problems bikes have on our roadways.
roughstuff