Originally Posted by
RobertHurst
All the talk of "close passes" reminds me of that frog who jumps half the distance to the wall with each jump. How dangerous is the vehicle that doesn't hit you? Not very.
Close passes are in the eye of the beholder.
Oh, its much more than that, Robert. If cities have road networks that encourage close passing and there is not much room for bike traffic, there is a social barrier to greater bicycling participation.
If a city develops or leaves in place a road network where close passes are the norm, less people will bicycle.
The formula repeated in city after city is clear : plan for bike traffic in the transportation mix, and more people bicycle. Minimizing the potential for close passes removes a primary disincentive to travelling by bike.
New York City's transition from the 1980's to today is a prime example of this dynamic.
leave roads so messenger types and messenger wannabes and gung ho young men are the only ones that feel okay traffic jamming amidst close passes, see rider share stunted in communities.