Right
"We can all enjoy the wonders of cycling"
We cycle because it is FUN!
Trying to sell it as "medicine" for "sprawl" is impossible.
In the livable cities neighborhoods many here favor(which of course will be enclaves for the affluent) people WALK-
Bike riders in Manhattan- as nearly as I can tell- are disliked by the pedestrians(vast majority) and drivers-so no way are "25%" of any facilities going to be dedicated to bike riders-which at best account for a minuscule percentage of transportation miles

Yeah-sell bike riding as fun-healthy,weight loss- "make you more attractive fit" -cheap
But trying to get exclusive right to 25% of the transportation "space" or $$-for a 1% at best contributor-is hopeless
The CV eccentrics at least have the good sense to know-we have to share the road with other vehicles-and people.

Tandempower-I appreciate your usually not too insulting comments-and addressing even somewhat "out there" suggestion we/I might make.
In that spirit I will make this a minor barely cheap-shot cheat shot
Your back of envelope calculations on the cost of a Public transportation buses and drivers etc.
Indicate you aren't a MPG nut(I am) or a "car/motor vehicle" nut-heck why should you be-
It is a HELL OF A LOT more expensive than your decent effort back of envelope calculations indicate
FOR EXAMPLE- bus cost-your guess $100,000 **********? Yikes- a dinky mass produced car is $25,000 now
BELOW is a cut from somewhere or other-it is dead on- what buses actual cost

Diesel buses are the most common type of bus in the United States, and they cost around $300,000 per vehicle, although a recent purchase by the Chicago Transit Authority found them paying almost $600,000 per diesel bus. Buses powered by natural gas are becoming more popular, and they cost about $30,000 more per bus than diesels do. Los Angeles Metro recently spent $400,000 per standard size bus and $670,000 per 45 foot bus that run on natural gas.

Hybrid buses, which combine a gasoline or diesel engine with an electric motor much like a Toyota Prius, are much more expensive than either natural gas or diesel buses. Typically, they cost around $500,000 per bus with Greensboro, NC's transit system spending $714,000 per vehicle.


Charlie-phoebeisis again-gotta learn how to "do that fancy cutting" you folks so-oh well
So bus cost you are off by 4X or so

$12 for a bus driver?? Wow you certainly are a free market proponent-Sure you can get a driver for $12(which with minimal benefits is $15)
Remember that poor Co-pilot who crashed the commuter plane -NE- maybe near buffalo?-she made just $20,000/yr works about about your $12
But a $12/hr driver-will be a $12/hr driver-he/she won't show up on time-will call in-turnover will be significant-and they will regularly crash the bus into cars etc-with all the "injured riders" grabbing their necks and insisting on being transported to the Hospital-and them heading to a TV chiseling lawyer
Of course transit buses are huge and slow-usually passenger injuries are minimal to zero-but they can chew up cars-power poles etc
So $12- is out -better plan on more like $16+ another $8 in benefits-perhaps Cooker-seems to be an accountant?? consultant-could chime in on actual costs of various employees

6 mpg-not a terrible guess- some San Fran. "golden gate transit whatever" indicated they got 4mpg-which actually seems "too good"
In the S and SW it might take at least another 1 gallon per hour for the AC-perhaps 2 gph(at idle my ancient suburban gets .6gph idle .7gph ac on)

In any case your costs would be at least 3X-meaning $3/ride
and my suspicion is 5x might be more like it(maintenance and repair costs can kill you- diesels get great mpg- but surprisingly "delicate/expensive" fuel systems) $5/ride
But it was back of envelope and a good faith effort-


In any case the proselytizers need to "sell" bike riding as fun that makes you more attractive
Which has the distinct advantage of being TRUE
Selling it as MEDICINE for the WOES imposed on us by "EVIL CAR PEOPLE" **********
Duh-we-USA- ALL DRIVE-you are telling us we are BAD- really think you can sell that????

Geez-you car free proselytizers- have never actually sold anything, right??

Like Machka said "FUN -BIKES ARE FUN"

But this discussion-is fun-interesting-and Australia is endlessly fascinating to my generation(and to Germans too it seems)
and yes very interesting-and instructive on the WHY NO SPRAWL in Australia-
but the country/continent itself- is something