Originally Posted by
aplcr0331
Times are a-changin. Pie in the sky wishful thinking about bike commuting is a waste of time. The numbers are just not there… and the numbers are dwindling.
More people commute by bike in urban areas than rural (which explains why cycling related deaths are 70% higher in urban areas). And now that
1 in 4 Americans will be working from home that's 37,500,000 less potential bike commuters. Fully 1/3rd of Americans will not/or cannot cycle so we've cut out 100,000,000 right there (disabled, too old, too young, don't want to, etc.)
Prior to the pandemic bike commuting was falling.
Research from the Census showed that bike commuting was happening less and less, even in cities with more cyclists like Seattle and San Francisco. And this was happening despite more being spent on cycling infrastructure and outreach programs.
Oh I definitely think the times are changing. The idea of working full time from the office is not at all appealing to me and likely won't be common even after this is all done.
Your articles do offer some explanations though,
lower fuel prices before the pandemic being one of them, and the availability of ride-share services and electric scooters. Which I think is a great development. Even people who use their cars a lot only use them 1/3rd of the time at best. Better to only have/use a car when you need one, American cities are 50% parking lot already... which adds to the urban sprawl and requirement for a car. Driving any vehicle in the US is relatively dangerous, in fact,
the US is the deadliest developed country in the world when it comes to
traffic deaths.
The Netherlands didn't start investing in its bicycle infrastructure until we hit a record high of road fatalities, especially cyclists, in the 70's. See it as a chance to finally move people into action.
The US is several decades behind when it comes to investing in bicycle infrastructure so give it some time. A safe cycling network needs a level of critical mass before it starts becoming a viable option for most people. Simply relying on cars for commuting, groceries and travel is not a sustainable option in the long run.
I prefer to be hopeful and realistic so we can monitor what works and what does not and adjust accordingly.
Also, I'm 34 so I plan to spend some more time on this planet and leave it in a better condition than I received it in.
As for taxes on bicycles; the Netherlands did it but it was such a stupid idea
even the nazis got rid of it.