Originally Posted by
Roody
You bike people are so depressing and unrealistic. 15% modal share is huge! 9% is fantastic! More would be nice, but it's important to be both realistic and optimistic when setting goals. After all, we're starting out at very close to zero percent bikes in most cities of the world.
A goal that makes sense to me is
- 50% public transit
- 25% walking
- 10% bike
- 15% other (including cars, taxis, car shares, etc.)
Again, it's that perspective thing. I lived for many years where bikes outnumbered cars on the road by a large factor, so 9% and 15% seem like a return to the dark ages. You've been living where, historically, no one rides. Therefore, you see those numbers as huge.
Having been there for all extremes and most of the middle ground, I can tell you that there is a world of difference between low bike usage, like 10-20%, and situations where bikes outnumber cars. At the low end, cyclists are routinely marginalized (often by overly narrow spaces and by traffic control devices that create substantial time issues) and harassed. As bikes close in on majority status, motorists realize that resistance is futile and things get a lot better. Much to my surprise, it is possible to lose this utopian situation.
I do find it odd that in a nation full of people who are literally killing themselves by standing still, your ideal transit mix is nearly two-thirds sedentary. Maybe for a retirement community your mix would be a reasonable goal, but for a city it's a recipe for continued poor health. I find that to be depressing in the extreme. Dream a little and see the possibilities.