Originally Posted by randya
Many cities in Japan have a 40% cyclist mode split and most of that cycling is done on the sidewalks. Amsterdam and Copenhagen have similar cyclist mode splits, having developed extensive bikeway networks.
The US has a paltry 1% cyclist mode split, and yet some fools still insist that cycling should only be done with motorists, on roads designed for motorists, and by the rules established for motorists (those motorist-specific rules having come about out of necessity due to the extremely harmful nature of motor vehicles when incorrectly used).
I diagnose you, John Forester, with a terminal case of motorist superiority disorder.
You state the current situation in Japan, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen as if it was always that way. The ONLY reason cycling in those cities is done on the sidewalks and bikeways is because of an INCREASE in automobile travel. This is what Forester is talking about. The fact that most cyclists in the US are so happy to be given the same treatment that was forced upon cyclists in these other countries is beyond comprehension to me, then again, I don't feel as though I am an inferior road user.