Originally Posted by sgtsmile
But that is not going to do it alone! One major problem North America has is lousy urban planning IF you go carless. Inner cores of cities are ok, but if you cannot or will not live there, where the public transit is, and are forced into a suburban hell, you are toast for getting around. Yes, you can use a bike, but in many cities, this is not as easy as it sounds when urban sprawl outstrips the effectiveness of the road infrastructure and public transit is not funded adequately.
What would help is intensifying the development in the inner parts of cities, and making the cities interesting to be in again and places that people want to live. This gives people access to transit, and makes urban utility cycling more attractive. Effective transit needs a certain population critical mass before it starts working well.
yup. here in Phoenix, things are so spread out and so many people live so far from their jobs that bicycling to work would seem to be a monumental task. I'm not sure I would even commute if I didn't live so close to work. distances and public transit as well as road accomodations are all factors.
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"Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world". ~Grant Petersen
Cyclists fare best when they recognize that there are times when acting vehicularly is not the best practice, and are flexible enough to do what is necessary as the situation warrants.--Me